Fuzzy Wuzzy Protector
by ssjgokillo
Summary: During the summer Sirius sends Harry a package to help him achieve his animagus form. During the ritual something goes wrong, and Harry finds himself stuck trying to regain his human form, while being mistaken as a magical pet by Hermione. H/Hr/L
1. Chapter 1

This story is in response to the challenge on Paladeus' forum. The challenge is listed below, but you can also find it in the forums on his author profile page. After each category, I've listed what I'm keeping and changing from the challenge.

**Challenge 2: "Fuzzy Wuzzy Protector"(Either story or summer fic)**

**Year:** 2, or 3 for story-long fic, any summer for summer fic depending on what the story needs for your purposes.** (Year 4 story fic, beginning in the summer after Harry's 3rd year)**

**Ship(s):** Harry/Hermione (H/Hr) or Harry/Hermione/Luna (H/Hr/L) – Author's choice. Must maintain Hermione in it if a story fic. **(Harry/Hermione/Luna)**

**Secondary Ships possible:** Neville/Luna (N/L) if H/Hr/L is not selected, Neville/Ginny (N/G) – All others are Author's choice **(Other ships are undecided at this point)**

**Rating limit:** None – Author's Choice **(Rated T)**

**Genre:** Action, Comedy, Drama, Erotic, Erotic Comedy, Horror, Mythology/Folklore, Romance – Author's Choice, any combination, including forgotten. No slash/yaoi/crack-fics **(Adventure/Romance)**

**Plot Requirements:**

**Setting:** Hermione/Luna's home design and such of your own choice.

**Beginning:** Harry reads in his transfiguration books about Animagus forms. In his ignorance of what exactly is entailed in becoming one, believes it is simply a matter of choosing what you want to look like and will himself into that form, which also leads to his being the first multi-animagus. After transforming into a creature of his own creation gains whatever magical abilities (at will, though nothing god-like, of course) that creature has. (This holds true for any form his takes, but his first MUST be a fox-like creature with a tail twice as large as he is and very bushy, though soft (though it's size could be due to more than one tail if so desired). Large eyes, green as his own, preferably white fur that seems to highlight silver/pale blue as he moves; color is your own choice, however.) He goes to Hermione's home to get help to transform back. Spends rest of summer there (Or Luna's home if this is a summer fic, or they can go between homes if both, whatever).

After a week, of which she doesn't realize it is him and believes him to be a very smart and magical creature, he defends her at a park near her home, growing larger to intimidate and to chase off some dogs (or whatever you want, so long as it won't get her/them into trouble). After that, he learns to change his form, allowing himself to change back to Harry as you wish or whatever you want. Even after turning back to human, Harry still has a tendency to purr when happy or content, which Hermione seems to unconciously pick up on and pet him whenever the opportunity arises (she may recognize that he purrs, but doesn't catch that she pets him until after a little while, or she likes it if she does, whatever you want.)

(You may continue this story as you wish, or end it with the summer ending (but Harry and Hermione/Luna MUST get together early on if it is a summer story only, or at your own pace if you will continue it, preferably before 4th year.)

This is a plot that will follow in one of my own stories based on a challenge by Witowsmp in chapter 1 of "Dumbledore Answers Harry" (A H/Hr story in which Dumbledore tells Harry everything after the first year – Good story,) after year two and going into year three.

**(I'm going to try and untilize all the above plot points, but we'll see)**

**Antagonist(bad guy):** You choose. Not needed if Summer story only (though you could have a riled up Ron wanting to know why Harry chose to stay with "The Know-It-All" or some such.) **(Ron as a side antagonist, but Voldemort and his band of merry men will be the main antagonists)**

**Flow of Time:** As you wish.

**Author's story from here:** Once Harry arrives at Hermione's, take it however you want based on the previous rules. They MUST be together early if it stays a Summer story, at your own pace, but please before 4th year, if longer. If you would like ideas for continuing the story, I can offer a few, though most of my own ideas, will be used in the challenge listed above.

=-=FWP=-=

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter, which should be obvious by the fact that Ron somehow not only survived Deathly Hallows, but ended up with Hermione.

=-=FWP=-=

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

Harry gasped in pain as he sat upright in his bed clutching the scar on his forehead. He looked around, expecting to find himself in the decaying room he had seen Wormtail in. It took Harry a few moments to realize that he was not in the strange mansion he had seen, but in his room in Number Four Privet Drive. He took a few shuddering breaths, his body covered in a cold sweat. The dream had been frighteningly real, and his scar felt like someone was trying to drive a nail into his head. He waited a few moments for the pain to recede before he drew a calming breath. The dream had been terrifying in it's intensity, so much so that Harry was almost positive it wasn't a normal nightmare. The question was, who was the old man who'd been killed? Harry had recognized the traitorous Wormtail, and the voice from the chair. It had after all, haunted his dreams for years, now often accompanied by Professor Quirrell or a giant basilisk. The old man however was unknown.

Harry sighed in frustration. His scar had been prickling ever since he'd arrived back at the Dursley's for the summer. This was the first time it had hurt as badly as it had which gave credence to Harry's belief that what he experienced was not a normal dream. His frustration however, was due to the fact that before he'd dreamt of moldy mansions and the killing curse, he has been having a wonderful dream.

It was a dream he'd had a couple of times since coming back from Hogwarts for the summer. A dream where he was once again riding on Buckbeak, the hippogryph he and Hermione had helped save right before the summer. In his dream, he and Buckbeak were soaring over the grounds of Hogwarts again, and while Harry loved flying, what made the dream truly wonderful was the feeling of the slender arms wrapped around his waist, and the body pressed against his back. A body which he knew full well belonged to his best friend Hermione Granger. Of course, in his dreams Hermione wasn't screaming in fright like she had when they'd really ridden Buckbeak, but gasping and laughing in joy as they soared through the sky.

Harry smiled as he thought back to the way Hermione had clung to him when Buckbeak had taken to the air. The feeling had been indescribable at the time, but Harry was certain he'd be able to use the memory of it to cast a truly awe-inspiring Patronus if the need arose. Even now the memory was making him feel a bit dazed, as if he hadn't just had a dream where he'd watched an old muggle being killed by the same curse that had taken his parents.

That sobering thought brought his good mood crashing to the ground. He knew there was no way he'd be able to fall back asleep with the images running through his head. It was more then a dream, but if it had really happened, then what could he do? No one knew where Wormtail had escaped to, and the old muggle he'd seen in the dream was already dead. Sighing, he decided to write a letter to his godfather, Sirius Black.

He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and slowly rolled out of bed, making sure to move his feet as quietly as possible across the floor to his desk. The Dursley's where normally very heavy sleepers (in the fact that they were hard to awaken, and the fact that his uncle and cousin each weighed about as much as a small car) but he didn't even want to consider what kind of punishments they would come up with for him if he did wake them up. Harry sat down at the desk and pulled out piece of parchment and his quill and ink. He stared at it for a moment, wondering what exactly he should write. _Hey Sirius, I had a scary dream and can't get back to sleep._ That would go over really well. Sighing to himself, he dipped the quill in ink and began writing.

_Snuffles,_

_ How is everything? Are you alright? So far the Dursley's have been... well not as awful. Seems they're scared that my godfather might pay them a visit if I'm upset. Silly huh?_

_ Something a little strange happened tonight. I had a nightmare featuring our least favorite rat, and my scar hurt so much it woke me up. I don't know if it means anything, but I thought I'd let you know._

_ Hope you're doing well, and tell Beaky I said hi!_

_~Harry_

Harry looked over the letter, and decided it was good enough. It was vague enough that only someone who knew the details would really understand it. He rolled the parchment up and walked over to his dresser where he kept Hedwig's cage.

"Hey girl, will you take this to Sirius for me?" He asked the snow-white owl, stroking her side gently. Hedwig made a clicking sound that he took for a affirmative, and he tied the letter to her leg. He stepped back, and with a flap of her wings Hedwig flew out the window and into the night sky. Harry watched her until she was just a speck in the distance before turning back to his bed.

He contemplated trying to go back to sleep, but finally gave it up as a bad job. He'd be up in a couple hours anyways. He stood for a few moments, trying to find something productive to do. Thinking about the letter he'd sent to Sirius had him thinking about the package he'd received from his godfather not too long after arriving at the Dursley's. He began digging through his trunk, before he pulled out a box that contained a book and a vial full of a gray liquid. The book had the title _"Animagi: Theory & Practice"_ embossed on it's black cover. Harry had been excited when a rather large tropical bird had delivered the package, but hadn't gotten to read very much of it due to his chores and summer homework.

Sticking out of the pages was the note Sirius had sent with the package, currently being used as a bookmark. He'd once again thanked Harry for helping him, and had suggested Harry might find the information in the book interesting, and that the potion was one of the materials the book would require if he decided to, as Sirius put it, "continue the legacy".

Harry flipped to where he had placed the note and began reading the book. The book had warned in the very beginning that becoming an Animagus was not simple, and that there were serious consequences if the process was not performed perfectly. Some people would severely damage their magical cores, possibly removing their magic altogether. Others, had become stuck in partially transformed states (the author even theorized that perhaps it was a botched Animagus ritual that led to the creation of the first werewolves), while others had fully transformed but lost their humanity, sometimes turning on their friends and family in their primal instincts. The list went on, but Harry got the idea. This was a serious undertaking, and he had to be sure he had it done right.

According to the book, there were three essential stages to becoming and Animagus. The first step would be brewing the potion that would be required for the ritual. This was supposedly one of the hardest parts as the potion was horribly complicated, needing ingredients added within seconds of one another, and the potion took weeks to brew properly. The book further warned that this was the stage that most mistakes were made, as the potion had to be brought to precise temperatures at certain times on certain days, and even one misstep could cause the whole concoction to be ruined. Harry was relieved that Sirius had already either made or purchased the potion, as he knew he was no potions master himself, something he knew his potions teacher would gleefully agree to. Or maybe not, if he knew he was agreeing with Harry.

The next stage basically involved meditation. The wizard or witch attempting to become an Animagus would have to try and connect to both the nature around him, and his own magical core. The difficult part of this was that you had to connect to both at the same time. You had to feel the energy both around you and within you, and use yourself almost as a bridge connecting the two together. Once this was done (and too Harry's frustration, the book simply said that he would know when he had accomplished the feat), it was time to move on to the actual ritual that would grant him his Animagus form.

The ritual was what Harry was currently reading. He hadn't quite finished the meditation part yet, but he'd made some headway considering the limited time he was able to go outside without having to do yard work. He could feel his own magical core, and on occasion he could sense the vibrant energy of nature around him. He was certain that with just a little more time, he'd be able to connect the two.

The ritual for the most part was fairly simple. He'd use some of the potion to draw a series of symbols on his chest, and then drink the rest. Then he'd focus on both his magical core and nature at the same time, focusing the combined energies through his wand. The book said that if done correctly, his wand would expel a image similar to a patronus, that would show him his animal form. The image would merge with him, and afterwords he should have the ability to transform at will between the two forms. He would feel the bond with his animal form through his magic, and would be able to follow that bond into the form. The transformation was supposed to be painless, as his magical core would literally flow through it, rather then fight it like a werewolf's transformation would. Harry read through the ritual again, making sure to memorize the exact placement and order of the symbols. Once he felt like he knew it well enough, he flipped back to the chapters on meditation.

It had the same basic information he'd gone over before. There was deep breathing techniques and thought processes that were supposed to help him clear his mind, but they never worked for him. Sure, the deep breathing would keep him calm, but his mind was always caught on one thing or another, and he knew his nightmare tonight was just going to add to the list of things his mind would touch upon when he was trying to clear it.

He read through it until his alarm went off. Slipping the note back into the book, he turned off the alarm and stuffed the book back into his trunk. He stretched and threw on some clothes, ready to start the day.

=-=FWP=-=

Life continued on as normal on Privet Drive for the next few days. The Dursleys ignored Harry for the most part, and Harry felt that was just fine. He spent the time finishing up his summer homework, and continuing his meditation.

It was on the fourth day that Hedwig returned from wherever Sirius was hiding, a letter attached to her leg. Harry found her perched on the edge of his bed as he came back from the meager lunch his Aunt had given him, even worse then before due to Dudley's diet. Hedwig hooted in greeting.

"Hey girl! Glad to see you're back." Harry said as he gently stroked her wing. Hedwig gave what he could only assume was a pleased hoot before holding out her leg. Harry untied the letter and set in on his bed, deciding to fill Hedwig's bowl with owl treats and getting her some water before he'd read it. Hedwig once again gave a pleased, almost amused sort of noise, as though she was congratulating herself on how well she'd trained her wizard.

Once Hedwig was taken care of, Harry quickly opened the letter from his godfater.

_ Harry,_

_ Glad to hear things are okay over there. I'm worried about this nightmare though. You've said before that your scar only hurt when Voldemort was near right? I doubt he was anywhere near Privet Drive, so I'm at a loss as to what it could mean. If you haven't yet, you should probably owl Dumbledore and let him know. If anyone's going to know what to make of this, he will._

_ Beaky and I are fine, though I wish I could let him fly more often. But a hippogriff would just attract too much attention where we're at right now. We're staying safe, and that's all that matters. On that note, I want you to promise me you'll stay safe too pup. Don't do anything I wouldn't do (actually, scratch that. Don't do anything Moony wouldn't do. He's a much better role-model in this case). If anything weird happens, or your scar starts hurting again, let me know. If need be, I'll start making my way back up towards Surrey._

_ ~Snuffles_

Harry smiled at the thought of Sirius trying to tell him to be careful. It was definitely an image that fit Lupin better than his godfather. He found himself frowning however at his next task. In made sense that he should have sent a letter to Dumbledore to let him know about his scar, but it seemed so... personal. Sure, Harry liked the headmaster well enough, but he was just that, the headmaster. If it had happened at school then of course he'd have told Dumbledore, but during the summer it just didn't seem right to try and bring this to his attention. But Sirius was right, no one knew more about magic then Dumbledore, and he was his best bet for getting any kind of answer about his scar.

He sat down and quickly wrote a letter detailing his dream and the fact that his scar had hurt. He made sure to write that it hadn't happened since that night, but that he was curious as to what the headmaster thought might have caused it. He read it once to make sure it sounded okay.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_Hello sir, I hope you're enjoying the summer holidays. I wasn't sure if I should bring this up to you or not, but an acquaintance of both of ours said that you would be the best person to help. Four nights ago I had a dream involving our friends Peter and Riddle. The strange thing was that it made my scar hurt again, so bad that it woke me up. Nothing has happened since, but I'm sure it wasn't a normal dream. Sorry to bother you with this, but as I said you're the only one who I think would even begin to understand what is going on. If you think it's nothing, then sorry to bother you, and I'll look forward to seeing you at the feast on September first!_

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

Deciding the letter was as good as it was going to get he sealed it up, before turning and looking at an expectant Hedwig.

"Hey girl, I know you just got back, but do you think you could take this to Professor Dumbledore?" He asked. Hedwig gave him a look that he interpreted to mean _Like that little flight would wear me out_, before sticking her leg out. Harry tied the letter to her, and with a flap of her wings she was gone. Harry sat at his desk for a few moments, wondering just what Dumbledore would be able to come up with, before heading back downstairs to finish the yard work his uncle had left for him.

Later that day Harry found himself sitting next to the flowerbed on the side of the house. He'd finished all his chores for the day, and had decided he'd spend some time trying to focus on "connecting" his magical core to nature. He'd spent the last twenty minutes or so with his eyes closed, attempting to focus.

It was hard for him to focus however, as every time he tried his mind was immediately filled with images of the nightmare he'd had last night, or his dream of Hermione. The latter was really starting to confuse him. He'd never spent as much time thinking about his bushy haired friend before this summer. The way images of her would pop into his head throughout the day was starting to become a little disconcerting. Not that he minded thinking about one of his best friends, but the fact that the images that would pop into his mind weren't always just _friendly_. The Hermione that was appearing in his mind always seemed to have a flushed look on her face, and he always seemed to focus on her lips, or the pleasant feeling of her body pressed against his back.

Harry of course knew that one of his best friends was a girl, but that fact had never seemed important until the day they'd gone back in time to save his godfather and Buckbeak the hippogriff. Now his mind couldn't seem to stop recognizing the fact that she was in fact... a _girl_.

This line of thought inevitably made him remember the night they had saved Sirius from the dementors. As his mind started replaying the events of that night, certain things started coming into focus. The smell of the forest they had hid in near Hagrid's hut after they'd saved Buckbeak. The colors of the setting sun, and the feel of the wind in his face as they flew on the hippogriff. Each of these feeling seemed to become sharper, more pronounced in his mind. He could almost smell the forest now, mingling with the scent of the flowers and nearby grass. At that moment even with his eyes closed Harry was certain he could count every flower and every blade of grass, as easily as he could count his fingers or toes. After all, it was all apart of him. And it was with that realization that his eyes flew open, as the flowers around him bent from the small burst of magic he'd released.

He could feel it now, the connection he'd been striving to make. It was like he'd taken a bit of the nature surrounding him into himself. On top of it all though he felt excited. This was the final step he'd been waiting for. Now that he had accomplished this, he'd be able to perform the ritual, and become an animagus! His mind was working quickly, trying to decided when it would be best to do the ritual. He fought off the urge to just run right up to his room and get started. The ritual, while not super complex, could have dire consequences if interrupted. He'd only read over the various warnings about twelve times now.

It would have to be at night after the Dursley's had gone to bed. It would be better if they were away on holiday, but even in the unlikely event that happened, they'd force him to stay with Mrs. Figgs where he wouldn't be able to do any magic whatsoever. After thinking it through, he decided he'd do it the next night. As much as he wanted to do it tonight, he felt it would be better to read through the ritual one more time, and practice drawing the symbols he would need. He did after all, need this to work perfectly.

=-=FWP=-=

The next day could not have gone any slower in Harry's opinion. He had stayed up until almost 3:30 that morning re-reading the ritual and practicing the symbols. He'd barely been able to drag himself out of bed when his Uncle hammered on the door, bellowing at him that his Aunt had been kind enough to make him breakfast and he'd best get himself down there if he knew what was good for him. Breakfast itself seemed like it was taking up half the day, though the clocks all (almost smugly in his eyes) reported that only half an hour had actually passed. Then Vernon went off to work, his aunt went off to gossip with some of the neighbors, and Dudley went up to his room to play/get frustrated/break the newest computer game his parent's had gotten him.

Harry spent most of the time staring at anything that told time, trying to will it to go faster. Unfortunately, his temporal wishes were unheeded, as time marched right along at it's own pace. When lunch rolled around Harry was anxious. When it finally came to dinner that evening he was exhausted. Who knew that watching (and threatening and pleading with) time pass could be so tiresome?

After dinner, Harry was sent to his room while the Dursley's watched some television. Harry once again found himself going over the ritual, and concentrating on the bond he'd formed with his magical core. After what felt like an eternity (but was really only an hour) he heard the Dursley's make their way up the stairs and into their bedrooms. His felt jittery with excitement, and had to hold himself back an extra ten minutes before he heard the sound of his uncle's snores. To him, the sound was like a starter's pistol going off.

He quickly pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor, pulling the potion out of his trunk and pulling the stopper out. He grabbed his quill, and dipped it into the potion. Slowly he began to inscribe the symbols on his chest. As each symbol was drawn, the potion quickly dried with a flash of magic, ensuring that the symbol was completely formed and wouldn't drip down his chest. When the last one was drawn and dried, Harry took the vial and drank the rest of the potion. He gagged slightly. The potion tasted like a grass flavored Bertie-Bott's jelly bean he'd had, but he forced it down. Once that was accomplished, the symbols on his chest started glowing with a gentle light.

With a shaky hand, Harry picked his wand up off his nightstand. He closed his eyes, and once again felt for the bond between the natural world and his magical core. It responded with all the smells and promises of spring, and Harry began focusing the magic into his wand. It was a little hard to begin with. He wasn't actually casting a spell, so there was no wand movements or incantations to tell his magic what he was trying to accomplish. This would have to be done by sheer will alone.

Soon he began to feel the flow of his magic, steadily filling and flowing through his wand. He opened his eyes and watched as a bright glow focused at the tip. He continued pouring his nature-infused magic into the wand until finally, a small shape burst from the tip, landing on the floor.

Harry looked curiously at the glowing figure as it uncurled itself, revealing a small fox looking back at him with a similar curious expression. _I'm a fox? _Harry was excited. He'd been afraid he might be something silly like an earthworm, and while he'd hoped he might be something fierce like a lion or some other big cat, he found the prospect of becoming a fox exciting.

The translucent fox regarded him for a few moments, before bunching up and springing towards him, jumping into his chest. The fox passed through his skin, leaving a warm tingling feeling as he passed. When the fox disappeared inside him, he could feel something within him change. There was a flash from the symbols on his chest, and in the light he missed the green flash that came from his scar. The light subsided, and the symbols faded into nothingness as Harry found himself in the darkness of his room.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and grinned. He'd done it! Everything had worked perfectly, now all he had to do was focus on the bond in his magical core, which would now be bound to the form of a fox. Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, Harry once again closed his eyes and focused on the image he'd created of his magical core. And there it was! He could feel it, actually feel the difference in his magic. Before he could even really think about it, he pulled on the bond, forcing his magic to filter through and take his animal form.

As soon as the transformation started however, Harry sensed something wrong. The bond he'd made with his animagus form was... broken? No, that wasn't right... it was like it had splintered off, like the magic had been broken against something. Now that he was passing through it he could see that the bond now split off into several directions. At one end he could "see" his form, but it was no longer a fox. It certainly resembled a fox, but it's tail was much too big and it seemed to grow and shrink at various intervals. Harry felt panic start to grip him as his magic whisked him towards the form, forcing his body into the transformation.

Something had gone wrong. He performed the ritual perfectly but something had interfered somehow. What was going to happen? The bond was damaged but obviously still working, his body was already shrinking down, fur covering it as his tail bone grew out and expanded. His body quickly changed, until where Harry Potter once stood now there was a small fox-like creature. It's fur was black, except for a small white lightning bold shaped patch at the top of it's head, right below what looked like a small horn. It's tail was actually as big as the rest of the body, a mass of black fur that stuck out wildly. It twitched once, before opening it's green eyes.

The creature, which was Harry Potter, stood up on shaky paws. He looked around, trying to get his bearings as he viewed the world from a height he hadn't seen since he was a toddler. He blinked as he realized that not only could he see, but he could see in the dark! It was interesting, the way his eyes made use of the small bit of light from the moon coming through his window. He sat down, and yelped as he'd twisted his hind legs and his tail underneath himself. He scrambled for a second to right the situation, getting his legs situated and trying to move the unfamiliar appendage. His tail complied easily enough, curling around him as he sat.

While something had interfered with the ritual, it seemed like it still worked. Sure, his tail was huge, but he didn't really mind. It was soft, and he was sure it'd keep him warm if the weather was cooler. Satisfied for the moment, he decided he'd transform back and get some rest. There'd be plenty of time in the next few days to practice moving in his new form, but for now he was knacked. He closed his eyes, and willed himself back to his human form.

Only nothing changed. He opened his eyes and found himself still close to the ground, with his tail still curled around his paws. He tried to curse in frustration, but all that came out was something that sounded like "mew". Harry's eyes widened at that. That didn't sound anything like a fox. He tried to talk again and once again it came out as a "mew". He closed his eyes and tried once again to change back into his human form, but the change didn't happen. He couldn't even feel the bond with his magical core anymore! As a matter of fact, he couldn't even feel his magical core! There was magic inside him, but whatever it was belonged to the creature who's form he'd assumed, not to Harry Potter. The magic that this creature possessed was much more chaotic then his own, it felt like a storm inside him. And his magic, was nowhere to be found.

To an outside observer, the "mew" sound that the creature made next sounded frustrated. It got across the general sentiment that Harry was feeling, which was simply:

_ What do I do now?_

=-=FWP=-=

* * *

**Author's Notes: So heres the first chapter. I had to rewrite a couple parts a few times before I was satisfied, and even now it seems a little rushed to me. I'm already halfway through the second chapter, but it's giving me a bit of a tough time as well. **

**Next chapter will reveal exactly what Harry's animagus form is, as well as start his summer at the Granger's.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: The following is a fanbased story. Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. Please support the official release! Yes, this disclaimer was shamelessly stolen from Team Four Star.

=-=FWP=-=

Harry Potter was officially panicking. Not that anyone would be able to tell he was, as "Harry" wasn't in his room. No, in his room was a small fox-like creature with a large tail and a small horn-like thing protruding from it's head. The problem that was causing Harry to panic was the fact that the animal pacing about his room was actually him. _Something_ had gone wrong during his animagus ritual, but by the time he'd discovered that fact he had already transformed, and now he was unable to transform back, or even access his magical core!

He had tried repeatedly over the last few hours to reverse the change, but the magical core of the creature who's form he'd assumed was the only one he could find. And that added a whole other level of complication to the problem. Harry wasn't the most studious of wizards, but he remembered clearly one of the facts that had been presented in the book he'd received from Sirius was that while an animagus' form could be any kind of animal, it could never be a magical creature. A phoenix or kneazle animagus couldn't exist simply because the animagus would retain their own magical core throughout the transformation. All magical creatures had a magical core unique from each other and wizards. This was why each creature had abilities that couldn't be copied by other creatures or wizards. While a boggart might be able to assume the shape of a dementor, it would never possess the soul stealing kiss of one. The magic and the way it is used is just too different from species to species. After all, why would anyone bother with wands at all if a wizard could learn the innate magic that house elves possessed?

Unfortunately Harry once again found himself breaking the rules. Only this time it was the rules of magic itself. Here he was in the form of a magical fox-like creature with no way of transforming back into himself. He focused again and again, trying to follow the broken, splintered path of the magical bond he'd formed, but this creature's magic kept pulling him back. To make matters even more annoying, every time Harry tried to voice his unease or panic, it came out... well cute. It seemed every sound his new form made was meant to be appealing to women and children. Even his growls, which were closer to a silly whining sound, would probably make someone think he wanted to be pet instead of needing help.

Along with his whine, he had discovered that that some of his senses were sharper. His sense of smell had been almost distracting at first, as part of his brain would pick up on a scent and immediately catalog it. The smell of Hedwig's feathers, the dusty smell of his floor, it was like a whole new world was suddenly before him. He could even smell the Dursleys, though he strongly wished he couldn't as his cousin smelled like he hadn't bathed in the last few weeks, and his uncle smelled of sweat and cologne.

He had discovered earlier that night that he could see in the dark, but his eyesight had also improved. He could now make out details in much sharper focus then he could before. And the way his eyes could zero-in on sudden movements. He had seen a fly on his desk at some point in the night, and watched it as it flew around his room, resisting the urge to chase it.

Harry sighed (which once again, came out as a yipping "mew") as he closed his eyes and found the bond with his new magical core. In his mind's eye, the magical core looked like a tsunami. It was constantly swelling and writhing, and crashing against itself. He fought through the chaos, searching once again for the bridge to his human form. He had found the bridge earlier, but the path was splintered into many different directions, and his new magical core would always pull him back like he was caught in a tide. He once again found the beginnings of the path, but he was forcibly returned to the reality when a pounding sound came from his door.

"Boy! Get up this instant, your aunt has work for you to do and I'll be damned if you're gonna sleep the day away." His uncle Vernon's voice came from the other side. He could hear each of the locks being turned or unlatched one by one. Harry stood frozen and stared at the door as it swung open. Vernon squeezed through the door and looked around the room, before his eyes fixed on Harry's frozen form. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Vernon slowly backed out of the room and shut the door. Harry felt a surge of relief flow through his body.

"PETUNIA!" Vernon shouted from the hallway. "Get me my gun! The boy has some freaky animal in his room!"

Instantly the relief he felt was replaced by panic. How could he explain to his Uncle that it was really him! Would his uncle care even if he could explain it? His mind began racing, images of Vernon chasing him around the house with a shotgun running through his head. There was nothing he could do, he'd just have to escape. Get outside, and far away from Privet Drive, then worry about what to do next. If only he knew where Hermione lived, she'd be able to figure this out. He'd have to try and make his way to the Burrow. If nothing else, once he got the Weasleys to understand it was him, they'd be able to contact Dumbledore.

With that thought in mind, Harry nimbly jumped from the floor to the top of the dresser where Hedwig's cage was. He spared a look at Hedwig's cage, and thanked his stars that she hadn't returned from delivering his letter to Dumbledore. Hopefully she'd be able to figure out where he was like she often did. He then leapt from the dresser to the windowsill. As he was jumping across, the door to his room burst open again, his uncle stomping into the room with his face screwed into a scowl. He pulled the gun up and aimed at the window just as Harry landed.

Harry saw his uncle pull the trigger and closed his eyes. It was all over now, even his uncle couldn't miss from that range. He waited to hear the boom of the gunshot, but all he heard was a small *pop*. He felt a small surge run through his body, then everything was quiet. Slowly, he opened his eye to see what had happened.

His uncle wasn't there. Or to be more precise, Harry was no longer in his room. He was currently standing in what seemed to be a grassy field. He looked around in confusion. Had he died? Was this the afterlife? If so, it seemed rather simple. Of course, Harry hadn't really given much thought to what the afterlife would contain, but a large plain of grass probably wouldn't have made that list.

Harry shook himself out of his thoughts, and began moving. His senses were working in overtime, reviewing the new sights and smells before him. The field smelled richly of grass and the earth, and to his surprise some kind of feces. That made him wonder once again whether he had died. What kind of afterlife would smell like dog crap?

Not really knowing where he was, he moved aimlessly along. As he went along he let his mind wander. He could feel the ground and smell the different aromas in the area, and even feel his heart beating. So he obviously wasn't dead. But what had happened? One moment he was in the sights of his uncle's gun, the next he was standing in a field only god knew where. And how had he gotten to wherever here was? This certainly wasn't anywhere near Privet Drive. Had he been saved by a bout of accidental magic? He'd done it once before when Dudley had been chasing him, so it was a possibility. But would that mean he'd be in trouble for using magic? He hadn't gotten in trouble last year when he blew up his aunt, but everyone had been worried about Sirius escaping Azkaban at the time. And could he even perform accidental magic with his new magical core? It seemed possible, but he'd never thought to ask whether the children of magical creatures had the same problem.

Did it really even matter if the ministry was upset over his use of magic? He had bigger things to worry about, like the fact that he was currently stuck in the form of an animal he couldn't identify, in a place he didn't know. First he needed to figure out how to solve that problem, then he could worry about dealing with the ministry due to accidental magic.

He tried to push those thoughts out of his head as he continued along. His brain was already working overtime as it was. It seemed bound and determined to work with his sense of smell in memorizing each distinct smell he came across. It was almost overwhelming. In his room, there had only been a few scents to identify. Out here there was wild flowers, different kinds of birds, and all sorts of animals who had come and gone, and his nose seemed bound and determined to memorize each one. It made him a little dizzy, unused to the whirlwind of information his mind was trying to process. As he was going through the different scents, he caught a rather faint one. It was an older scent, his new instincts helpfully informing him that it was probably a few days old. It was the smell of wildflowers, but underneath it he could smell something different. The smell of ink. Which meant the smell either belonged to a human, or a book. Either way, he figured if he followed it, he might find a house or a town where he could try to find some information on where he had ended up.

He raised his muzzle to the air, sniffing deeply to try and lock on to the scent over all the others. Once he was satisfied, he began heading following the trail the scent made. He started out at a quick trot and then started for a full run. He could feel the power and grace of his small form, muscles bunching and bursting with energy. It was exhilarating, he was fairly certain he could run for hours and only be slightly tired. The only problem seemed to be his tail. He still wasn't used to it, and given it's size it had a unfortunate habit of swinging underneath his paws, causing him to tumble to the ground more then once in a chorus of the angriest mews he could muster. Each time he would glare at the offending appendage, which would just continue to flow behind him, decidedly unworried over it's master's annoyance.

After a few attempts, and a few more tumbles, he was able to get used to the feeling of his tail, and how to move it with his body as he ran. Then it became second nature, no different from using any other part of his body. With that under control he started making much better time, only stopping every now and again to sniff at the air and make sure he was still going the right way.

He stopped as he saw what appeared to be a castle turret in the distance, only there was no castle to go with it. It was decidedly out of place in this area, and he could only assume that it was not a muggle home. It could be, but he didn't see any power lines around, and the strange building just screamed "wizard" to him. The scent of ink was definitely coming from it. He slunk low to the ground, dashing for a nearby bush to hide in while he took in the surroundings. He could smell the ink coming from the building, it practically permeated the air around it, as well as the smell of something cooking. The outside smelled of many different vegetables and plants, but he shoved that information to the side. There was a gate at the front of the house, with a path leading up to it. There seemed to be a garden on either side of the path, and two trees that bore some kind of fruit. He needed to get closer to see if he could find any information. Maybe some discarded post, owl or muggle, that had the address listed.

He popped his head out of the bush and quickly looked around, before dashing towards the garden outside the turret. He easily jumped the small gate, running into the plants and trying to keep himself low enough to hide under some of the leaves. He saw a few signs in the garden, including one nearby that asked folks not to step on the dirigible plums. Harry could only assume that was he orange radish like thing he saw growing nearby. He'd never heard of a dirigible plum before, and he briefly wondered what one would taste like. It was then that his stomach gave a small growl, and he realized just how hungry he was. He had after all, not eaten anything since the measly dinner the night before, and had just run a good distance. Would the owner's of this place mind if he took one of the strange fruit?

He shook his head and silently berated himself. This wasn't the time to worry about food, and it wasn't like he wasn't used to being hungry. He'd sort out what to eat after he'd explored and tried to figure out where he was. Slowly, he stood up, popping his head above the leaves, and looking straight into a pair of silvery-grey eyes.

Harry's eyes widened in shock and he felt his body freeze up. In front of him was a young girl, maybe a year or two younger than him, with long blonde hair wearing the strangest assortment of clothes he had ever seen. She was wearing what seemed to be orange galoshes, and socks that were stripped different colors on each foot. She had a bright, sunflower yellow dress, and earrings that were in the shape of the dirigible plums he'd just seen.

They stared at each other for a few moments, Harry starting to get more and more nervous as time went by. The girl was looking at him, but she also seemed to be looking through him, or maybe a little to the left of him. It was hard to tell, and made him more than just a bit uncomfortable.

Then, without warning, the girl gave a happy shout and quickly grabbed Harry around his midsection before he could move. She pulled him to her chest and started rubbing her cheeks against his furry muzzle. He was so confused, that he almost missed her saying "I knew they were real! Oh daddy will be so pleased! I can't wait to show him! Imagine, a Snorcack would appear right in out garden!"

Harry was confused, but too shocked to try and wriggle out of the girl's embrace. A Snorcack? He'd never heard of a creature, magical or otherwise, called a Snorcack. But this girl seemed to recognize his current form. At least now he knew (probably) what he was. Now if he could just figure out where he was, or even better, how to change back.

The girl gently cradled Harry against her, as she made her way up the path to the strange building. She shuffled her arms a bit, holding him against her chest while she opened the door. As they entered, the smell of ink and what seemed to be some kind of stew washed over them. Harry looked around, trying to see if he could spot anything that might show the address, as well as possible escape routes if the need arose. The girl seemed nice enough, but for all he knew she might consider a Snorcack to be some kind of delicacy.

She stepped into the kitchen and set Harry on the counter. She ran a hand over his head and down his back, causing him to relax slightly.

"Just one moment Mr. Snorcack. I'll get you a bowl of water, and a bit of stew. You must be very hungry, I could hear your stomach all the way in here. Of course, you did travel all the way from Sweden, so I would think anyone would be hungry." The girl said, moving to the cabinets.

Harry once again heard his stomach give a growl, and felt like a bit of food and water sounded like the best idea anyone had ever had. This girl was quite obviously a genius!

The girl had taken a couple bowls out, and filled one with water, before spooning some of the stew into the other. She carried them both to the counter and set them in front of Harry.

"You may want to let the stew sit a bit. It's fresh from the cauldron and almost as hot as a heliopath."

Harry didn't know what a heliopath was, but he understood what she meant. He let the stew sit and instead lowered his muzzle towards the bowl of water. It was a little strange a first, lapping at it like a cat, but he found he didn't pay it much mind as the refreshing liquid soothed his thirst. Soon, the bowl was empty, and Harry gave a content mew, before turning to the bowl of stew. It was thick, with potatoes, carrots, peas, and some kind of meat. He dove into it with an enthusiasm that would normally be associated with his friend Ron. It tasted excellent, and all too soon he found himself licking the bottom of the bowl.

He sat down, looking around and noticing that the entire time he'd been eating the girl had just watched him. He felt full and refreshed, content for the first time since he'd changed into his animagus form. He heard a very quiet rumbling sound and looked around, trying to pinpoint it, before discovering it was coming from him. He was purring! Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was bloody purring! He was glad none of his friends were around right that moment, as he knew he'd never be able to live it down. His cute little mew sounds where bad enough, but if Ron ever found out that he purred when happy... he shuddered to even think about it.

The girl moved the bowls to the sink, pausing along the way to scratch him behind his ears, which to his chagrin made his purr intensify. After dropping the dishes in the sink, she sat down infront of him again, smiling happily as she pet him.

"I'm glad you liked the stew. We don't often have company over but I am rather proud of the recipe. It was one of my mother's." As the girl said the last bit, her eyes grew dreamy and Harry caught a tone of sadness in her voice. "She would've been very excited to meet you. She always believed father when he told her about you, but she always wanted to see one for herself."

As suddenly as it had come, the sadness in her voice was gone, and she looked back down at him. Harry was feeling relaxed and more than a little sleepy from his full stomach and her gentle petting. He laid himself on the counter top and rested his head on her lap, feeling his eyes growing heavy.

The girl didn't seem to mind, as she continued running her hand up and down his back to his bushy tail. "I just hope father won't be forced to turn you over to the Department of Mysteries once we publish proof that you exist. He wouldn't want to of course, but Minister Fudge might try to make him into a pie if he refuses. Maybe we can hide you away. I'd really hate for you to have to go through a bunch of gruesome experiments while the Unspeakables try to find out everything they can."

Harry's eyes shot open, as she mentioned the "gruesome experiments". He had no idea who these "Unspeakables" were, or why this girl though that the Minister of Magic would make her father into a pie if he refused to hand him over. He now knew for sure that he was in a wizarding home, and that he was in trouble. At this point all he knew was that he had to get out of here as fast as humanly... excuse me, as fast a snorcackly possible.

He quickly leapt from the counter to the floor, and bolted towards the front door. The girl gave a cry of surprise before following after him. Harry skidded to a halt as he noticed the door was now closed, and he knew he had no way to open it. He turned back and looked towards the windows, but the ones in this room where closed. Then he remembered the window in the kitchen, it had been open. He mentally smacked himself and made an annoyed mew sound. If he had been thinking straight he could have just leapt out that window.

The girl ran into the room and stood between Harry and the kitchen. "What's wrong Mr. Snorcack? You don't have to worry, I'm almost certain father can keep you hidden from the ministry. Actually, you could probably hide yourself, as you're the first Crumple-Horned Snorcack we've ever seen."

Harry wasn't sure what he was more confused by, the fact that this girl knew he was one of the Snorcack thingies without ever having seen one, or the fact that she was confused over him being concerned with the potential of being the victim of "gruesome experiments" by the ministry of magic. Deciding it didn't really matter at this point, he ran towards her, darting between her legs as she reached down to grab him. Her hand ran across his tail, but it was gone before she could grasp it. He leapt back to the counter top, and looked at the window. He barked out a mew that Hermione would've reprimanded him for if she would have been able to understand it. The reason for his frustration was that this window too was closed.

Just as he was about to jump off the counter, he felt himself being picked up, and held tightly by the girl once again. He struggled against her grip, but she held firm.

"Please Mr. Snorcack! Just wait till my father gets home and we can get a picture of you! The wizarding world needs to be shown that Snorcacks exist!"

The girl sounded both sad, and a little desperate to keep him there. Her tone almost made Harry relent, but the potential of being painfully experimented on was only one of the potential problems he faced. If he was taken to the ministry, and they found out he had become an animagus without registering... he wasn't actually sure what the penalty was, but the book had stressed repeatedly to make sure he document himself with the ministry as soon as he began attempting the ritual.

He squirmed in her grip, trying to be careful to not hurt her. The girl seemed nice enough, if a bit distracted, but she had fed him and been generally nice to what she assumed was a wild animal. He once again found himself wishing Hermione was around. He just knew that she would be able to help him out of this mess.

And as he thought about it, his bushy tail wrapped around him like a belt, as he felt a sudden surge in his magic. He stopped squirming and gave a little half-turn in the girl's arms, before disappearing with a small pop.

The girl, one Luna Lovegood, looked at her arms with a small frown. She had hoped the Crumple-Horned Snorcack would have stuck around. She had the feeling that the two of them could've become friends. She wasn't too worried however, as she was certain she would see the little creature again. She'd have to have her father teach her how to use the camera when he came home. She wanted to be sure to get a picture of Mr. Snorcack the next time she saw him.

=-=FWP=-=

With a small pop Harry found himself tumbling to the ground. His body twisted in midair, and he landed on all four of his feet. He looked around in a daze, trying once again to figure out what had just happened.

One minute he was struggling with that girl, the next he felt like he had... he wasn't even sure. It's like he ceased to exist for a moment, before appearing wherever he was now.

He looked around, realizing that he seemed to be in the backyard of a muggle house. The yard looked well kept, and there was a small, comfortable looking patio connected to the two story house. Whoever owned this place obviously took very good care of it. He wondered how he had gotten here and again where exactly here was. It had to have something to do with his Snorcack form (even if the girl had never seen one, she sounded so sure that he decided that's what he would refer to his form until she was proven otherwise), this time he had felt the strange magic spiking, reacting to his thoughts. Could this creature teleport? There was something similar wizards could do, but he couldn't think of what that was called. He remembered Dobby the house elf appearing and disappearing in his second year. Maybe he could do something similar?

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard a meow come from behind him, as something nudged his back leg. Harry resisted the impulse to jump and raise his hackles, instead simply turning around. Sitting behind him, looking very curious, was a familiar orange cat with a scrunched face. Crookshanks, Hermione's pet cat, looked at him questioningly. The cat eyed Harry carefully, and Harry tried to appear as non-threatening as possible. Then the look on Crookshanks changed, and Harry could swear the cat was looking at him with amusement. He had the distinct feeling the Crookshanks knew exactly who he was, what had happened, and found the whole situation hilarious. The evil little bugger.

Not certain what to do, Harry waited. After a few moments Crookshanks stood, that smug/amused look still on his face, and walked past Harry. He stopped and turned around, motioning with his head for Harry to follow him. And while Harry felt a bit annoyed by the fact that Crookshanks was having a laugh at his expense, he finally felt relief. If Crookshanks was here, that meant Hermione was sure to by nearby. This was probably her house now that he thought about it.

His relief soon became excitement. He was sure that Hermione would be able to help him transform back, and he'd also get to show her that he was the first magical creature animagus! Well, the first recorded anyways. And to top it all off, he'd get to spend time with one of his best friends during the summer. Things were starting to look up!

Crookshanks led him to the door at the back of the house, where he pushed through a rather large pet door that had been installed. Harry followed behind and looked around, taking in the details of the house. He was currently in the kitchen, which while clean, had various books and piles of paper and letters on the counters and table. It didn't look messy, just lived in, something his Aunt would never have tolerated.

The next room Crookshanks led him to was a living room. There was a comfortable looking sofa and recliner, as well as a nice looking television sitting on a stand. The room was decorated with pictures of the Grangers, Hermione featured predominantly in all of them. Harry wanted to pause and take a closer look at them, but Crookshanks meowed and gave him a look that he figured meant "hurry up!" so he continued up the stairs. The cat led him past one door where he could hear the sound of running water, assuming it was a bathroom. Crookshanks pushed his was past the second door which was sitting slightly ajar. Harry followed him inside. As soon as he stepped inside, he was assaulted with familiarity. The smell of paper, old parchment, ink, and vanilla. All the smells he associated with Hermione.

Other then the scent, there were obvious signs that this was Hermione's room. One wall was covered in bookshelves, each one filled to capacity. There was a desk in one corner with rolls of parchment and her quills and ink. Looking up at it, he'd guessed she had probably already finished their summer homework. Her bed looked comfortable, nothing like the lumpy mattress he slept on at the Dursley's, and was covered in light blue sheets and a black comforter. Sitting on the nightstand next to her bed, was her worn copy of _Hogwarts, A History_, and a wizarding picture of her, Ron, and himself, taken last year. In the picture they were standing next to the lake. The picture version of him and his friends smiled and waved at him as he looked back at them.

Crookshanks hopped onto the bed and watched Harry as he explored the room. Harry didn't even attempt to go through any of her things. Even if he could have, he wouldn't betray his friend's trust like that. Soon he found himself sitting at the foot of the bed, wondering how long he'd have to wait until Hermione showed up.

It turned out he wasn't going to have to wait very long, as at that moment the door swung open, revealing his friend. Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight. She had obviously just gotten out of the shower, her hair was wet and clinging to her neck and back, with a towel wrapped around her body. She didn't seem to notice him as she stepped in, and opened one of the drawers on her dresser, pulling out a t-shirt, a bra and a pair of knickers. Harry quickly turned around as he saw her begin to pull the towel off, staring straight at Crookshanks, who once again seemed to be laughing at him.

'Stupid cat probably planned this whole thing.' He thought to himself as he heard the rustle of fabric from behind him. One look at Crookshanks confirmed his suspicions. The cat was having entirely too much fun at his expense.

As he heard the towel drop to the floor, he had a sudden urge to turn around and try to catch a peek. He mentally slapped himself for the thought, and started chanting 'Must not peep on best-friend dressing...must not peep on best-friend dressing...' inside his head.

After giving what he thought was enough time, he turned back around just as Hermione finished pulling the shirt over her midriff. He caught a glimpse of her smooth skin before the shirt was pulled down and tried to bury the sudden light headed feeling he got. Hermione shook her head, letting her long hair fly out behind her, before looking around her room, spotting Harry for the first time.

Her mouth opened in surprise and he could see a bit of fear in her eyes. He immediately felt foolish. Of course Hermione would only see him as some strange animal, that had somehow gotten inside her house. An animal that she probably wouldn't be able to identify. He watched as she slowly backed away, until she was pressed up against the wall.

At a loss for what to do, Harry simply sat there, his bushy tail twitching slightly in nervousness. Crookshanks, sensing his owner's distress, jumped of the bed and landed next to Harry. Harry stood still as Crookshanks came over, and the nudged Harry's side with his head. Crookshanks looked at Hermione, waiting until she was looking at him, and then nudged Harry again, nuzzling against his side.

Hermione finally let out a breath she'd been holding since she saw him, and carefully approached the two animals. "Is this a friend of yours Crookshanks?" She asked, stopping about a foot away from them. Crookshanks nudged Harry again in response, before walking over and rubbing against Hermione's legs. Hermione smiled, and sat down to pet the orange cat, before returning her gaze to the strange animal that seemed to be his acquaintance.

It looked to be some sort of fox, but she'd never seen a fox with fur that black before, or with a tail that large. She slowly, so as not to scare the animal, reached her hand out, stopping just in front of it's head.

The fox (or whatever it was) looked almost confused for a moment, and Hermione had to wonder at that, as she'd never seen that look on an animal's face before. It looked at Crookshanks, before looking back at her hand. Finally, it leaned forward, and rubbed the top of it's head against her hand. Hermione smiled, both in relief and happiness. It's fur was so soft! She gently started to pet the top of it's head. The fox seemed appreciative, and turned it's head against her hand, nuzzling against it. She absentmindedly scratched it behind it's ears like she would do with Crookshanks when he acted like this. To her surprise the fox closed it's eyes and... started purring? Fox's don't purr! And what was that bony protrusion she felt above it's eyes? Like a small horn?

Oblivious to Hermione's thoughts, Harry found himself in a whole new world of contentment.

'This is what heaven must be like.' He thought to himself, as Hermione's fingers gently scratched areas along his head that seemed to be turning him to putty. He could feel that deep rumbling coming from his chest again, but found that at this point he didn't care if the entire world knew that he could purr, just so long as Hermione kept scratching that one spot just behind his left ear. He'd buy her every book in Diagon Alley as long as she kept up her ministrations.

Hermione stared at the fox that wasn't a fox as she continued to pet it. She tried to memorize every detail she could, even that small patch of white fur on it's head, just below what she assumed was a horn. Every detail was important, because in a moment she was going to rush to her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to see if she could identify this creature. She had never heard of an animal like this in any of her normal studies, and given that Crookshanks had found it, maybe it was magical? She didn't often run into magical beings during the summer, but that didn't immediately discount the possibility. She started to get excited ad the prospect of researching to find out what the strange creature was.

Harry groaned in disappointment when Hermione moved her hand away, of course the sound that came out was a long "meeeeeewwww". Hermione smiled at him, slightly amused.

"Alright alright, I'll pet you a bit later," Harry's mind froze on that statement, and for the first time felt glad he wasn't in his human form, as he was sure his whole body would be blushing, "First I need to figure out what you are though. You're obviously not a fox are you?"

Hermione had asked the question rhetorically. It was to her great surprise, when the not-a-fox gave a shake of it's head. Her eye's widened in surprise as she looked at it.

"You... can you understand me?" She asked, feeling slightly foolish for it.

The not-a-fox nodded it's head.

Hermione drew in a breath. _That_ definitely cinched it. This creature was magical, which would explain why Crookshanks had brought it to her.

"Can you speak?" She asked curiously, wondering just what all this not-a-fox could do.

"Mew!" The not-a-fox barked, before getting an expression on it's muzzle that made it look like it was annoyed with itself.

Hermione smiled at it's antics. "I guess not huh? Oh well. Will you stay here with Crookshanks for a bit? I want to go see if one of my books has information on what you are." She waited, until the not-a-fox gave a nod, before almost dashing out of her room to the closet where she kept her trunk. She hated the fact that she had to hide her schoolbooks, but her parents did occasionally have guests over, and she didn't want to accidentally break the Statute of Secrecy.

While Hermione was digging through her trunk, Harry found himself deep in thought. He had accomplished one of his goals by arriving at Hermione's house, thanks to his Snorcack form's ability to transport itself. Now he was faced with a whole new problem. How to make his friend realize that her latest research project was really him!

Crookshanks watched on, purring lightly in amusment.

=-=FWP=-=

Albus Dumbledore was a very happy man at the moment. He had gone to visit his brother in Hogsmeade, and while in the village had discovered that Honeydukes' was having a sale! 45% off Bertie-Bott's Every Flavor Beans! And 25% off lemon drops! He now had two rather sizeable bags of sweets in his hands, and was positive that he now had enough lemon drops to last the year. His only lament was that they had not had a sale on their prized chocolate, but he was happy with what he had gotten.

And the sale wasn't the only thing to brighten his mood. Earlier that day he had finished one of the last meetings he had with Ludo Bagman and the other ministry officials, to finalize the plans for the restoration of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, that Hogwarts' would have the honor of hosting this year. It would be a wonderful chance for the students to get to see other cultures, and to promote unity amongst wizards and witches of the world.

The gargoyle stood to the side as the staircase to his office rose. He climbed up the stairs, and placed his hand on the door to his office. He took a moment to check the wards, something that had become a habit of his back in the days of the war with Grindelwald. He didn't expect to be attacked in the school of all places, but as his old friend Alastor Moody would say "Constant Vigilance!".

'Speaking of Alastor, perhaps he would be willing to come out of retirement to fill the Defense position this year..' Dumbledore mused to himself. The wards indicated that he had an owl waiting for him inside, but that everything else was normal. He opened the door and smiled as he recognized the snow-white owl sitting on his desk. Hedwig gave a hoot in greeting when she saw the Headmaster enter, to which he nodded jovially. He hadn't ever received a letter from young Harry, but the owl was unmistakable.

Thinking of the young Potter, Dumbledore cast his eyes at the many silver instruments he had built to monitor both Harry's well being, and that of the wards and protections around him and Privet Drive. In an instant all traces of humor and joy were wiped off the headmaster's face, as the two bags of sweets he had been holding fell to the ground.

The wards around Privet Drive had almost completely fallen apart, and all the instruments monitoring Harry indicated that he no longer existed!

Dumbledore stood in complete shock until another hoot drew his attention back to the owl on his desk. She had a letter, more then likely from Harry. Maybe it would explain? With shaking hands, Dumbledore untied the letter, and sat heavily in his chair. Not even Honeydukes' giving away candy could improve his mood now... this was going to be a long day.

=-=FWP=-=

**AN:** Congrats to those who guessed that Harry's form was a Crumple-Horned Snorcack. I didn't want to be too obvious about it but the idea of Harry becoming a Snorcack was what had really driven me to write this challenge in the first place. I had this whole big plan for Luna meeting Snorcack Harry, with her chasing him around her house and the surrounding countryside in Tom & Jerry-esque antics. However, each time I tried to write it, it came out really contrived and just didn't seem to flow right. So I dropped it in favor of the above scene. The stuff with Crookshanks was taken directly from a cat I used to know, who would delight in seeing me embarassed or uncomfortable. He was an awesome cat, but I know he would've found this situation hilarious if it had happened to me.

As I'm sure you've guessed Dumbledore won't be evil in this fic. He will be slightly manipulative, but only as much as he was in cannon. While I love Evil/Manip Dumbledore fics, I just didn't want to go in that direction for this one.

And quick question, does anyone remember what book Dumbledore told Harry about the wards around Privet Drive for the first time? I can't seem to remember.

So, next up we have Harry's experiences at the Granger's, Dumble's search for Harry, and whatever other shenanigans I can fit in.

And please, whether you liked it or hated it, review and let me know! I cannot improve unless I know where I am failing after all ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, all right belong to JK Rowling and those other folks who have them. If Ms. Rowling is ever looking to sell them cheap however, just gimme a call!

AN: Here is the completed chapter. I once again thank everyone for their patience and understanding, as well as all the people who messaged/reviewed me. I hope this chapter makes up for the delay!

Also, I just noticed there is a small continuity problem. In GoF, Harry had the nightmare about Voldemort killing Frank Bryce early saturday morning, and the Weasley's picked him up for the World Cup on Sunday. So I'm just moving back the day Harry had his nightmare, to the previous monday of that week to help fit in with the GoF timeline.

Anywho, on with the show!

* * *

=-=FWP=-=

It was a rather chilly night at Hogwarts. A cold breeze blew through the grounds, occasionally gusting through a window and helping to chill the castle. With a shiver, the aging Headmaster flicked his wand, causing the windows in his office to close.

The atmosphere in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts was decidedly tense. Professor Dumbledore sat behind his desk, a piece of parchment laying before him. Across the way sat both Remus Lupin, and Professor McGonagall. All three of them sat in tense silence, as they waited for one more person.

The fireplace suddenly flared with green fire, and out stomped a grizzled looking man with a wooden leg. His face was littered with scars, and he had a strange blue fake eye that seemed to dart all around the room. He had a wand drawn in either hand, one pointed at Dumbledore, the other pointing between McGonagall and Lupin.

Dumbledore smiled slightly at his antics. "Calm yourself Alastor, I can assure you we are all who we appear to be and none of us plan on attacking you."

Alastor Moody, or Mad-Eye Moody as most people called him, snorted derisively. "Exactly what a would be attacker would say."

Dumbledore shook his head. McGonagall looked drawn between resignation and annoyance, and Lupin sat serenely.

"Surely you remember Alastor, that only the headmaster of Hogwarts can give permission for someone to come through the floo of the headmaster's office?" Dumbledore said.

Moody seemed unconvinced at first, before finally placing one wand back in his robes, and the other in a holster. He stomped over to the only open chair, nodding a greeting to both McGonagall and Lupin as he passed.

"Alright Dumbledore, I got over here as quick as I could, what's this big emergency?" Moody asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, gone was all traces of the grandfatherly headmaster. He suddenly looked every one of his one hundred and fifteen years. His eyes had lost their twinkle, and even his hair and beard, which normally had more of a silver hue looked dead and gray.

"My friends, I'm afraid we have a dire problem. I arrived back in my office this afternoon to find that the wards placed around Harry Potter's home have all but vanished, and that the charms I had to monitor Mr. Potter had disappeared." He held up his hand to ask for silence, as he saw both McGonagall and Lupin open their mouths to say something. "That is not all I'm afraid. Harry's owl was here to deliver a message." Dumbledore held up the letter he'd received from Harry. "In it Harry claims that he had a nightmare involving Voldemort, and that he woke up with his scar hurting three nights ago."

Moody narrowed his eyes. "You had charms monitoring the boy Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore looked taken aback at the tone in his friend's voice, before shaking his head. "Not to invade his privacy Alastor. His... _relatives_," Dumbledore's eyes narrowed momentarily at the mention of the Dursleys, "are not the most pleasant people around, especially when it comes to young Harry. The charms I placed on him simply let me know that he is alive and unharmed."

Moody nodded in understanding. "And I take it the boy's scar hurting is of some significance?"

"I'm afraid so. Harry's scar seems to react to Voldemort's presence, causing a sharp pain." Dumbledore said.

Remus' face was set in worry. "Dumbledore... you don't think that You-Know-Who is behind Harry's disappearance do you?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I highly doubt it. If Voldemort was able to get a hold of Harry, I doubt he'd have the patience for anything other than killing him. The charms I placed would've reported Harry's death. Instead they're just.. gone."

"What do you want us to do Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked, ready to do whatever it took to find her wayward student.

"I will shortly be visiting the Dursley's to see what they can tell us about Harry's disappearance. Minerva, I would like you to check in with Miss Granger and the Weasleys, and see if they have heard from Harry. Remus, I would like you to get in contact with Padfoot. Stress the fact that we are working on the situation, and while we need any information he has, he must not do anything to endanger himself. Moody, I'd like you to check Diagon Alley. When Harry ran away last year he stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, perhaps he is there. If not, do what you must to find any information you can." After ensuring everyone understood their orders, Dumbledore led the way to his fireplace, giving permission for each of them to floo out. After they were gone he threw in a handful of floo powder, before stepping in and saying "The Hog's Head."

After a short spin, Dumbledore nimbly stepped out of the fireplace into a dingy looking pub. There were a few customers at this hour, but they paid the headmaster no mind. With a nod to his brother, Dumbledore stepped outside into the streets of Hogsmeade, before apparating to Privet Drive with a faint pop.

=-=FWP=-=

'She's trying to kill me!' Harry thought as he dove under Hermione's bed, hiding his eyes beneath his tail which curled around him. His fur was dripping wet and clinging to his body. He could hear Hermione calling for him from the bathroom, but there was no way he was going to go back there. How had he gotten into this mess?

It has started rather simply. Hermione had spent the better part of the day looking through every book she owned that even mentioned magical creatures, trying to identify him. Harry had tried to get her attention multiple times, hoping to find a way to get her to realize that it was him. Hermione however was completely focused on her task, and would just either absently scratch him behind his ears or shoo him away. Crookshanks merely looked on, giving Harry a look that he interpreted to mean "Welcome to my life."

Hermione kept the search up until late that evening, re-reading the books until her mother and father came home and finally called her down for dinner. She left quickly, stopping only momentarily to tell him and Crookshanks to behave themselves and she'd bring them up some dinner after she was done.

Harry sighed (mewed) to himself as he looked around his friend's room. What good was it coming here if he couldn't get Hermione to realize it was him! He finally rested his eyes on her desk, where she had been taking notes of various magical creatures she thought he might be. His eyes widened as he looked at the desk. She had left her ink vial open! Harry yipped in excitement and jumped up to her chair and then her desk.

She had even left her quill out! This was perfect! He'd just write a quick note explaining what had happened. He reached for the quill, before his hopes came crashing down. He didn't have hands, he had paws. He tried to pick up the quill just to see if he could, but it was useless, the feather just kept slipping from between his paws.

'Well, I guess I could try and write it with my paw.' He thought. He gingerly stuck a paw in, shivering slightly as the ink soaked through his fur to the skin. He carefully pulled his paw back, and rested it on a piece of blank parchment.

His first few attempts were worthless. He just couldn't get his paw to work the way his arm would. All he managed to do was smear the ink in a squiggly line up and down the parchment.

After a while he started getting a little better, but he was writing too large. By the time he was done, his H had taken up half the sheet of parchment. He sighed to himself, wishing Hermione had left out a blank scroll he could have written on.

It was the best he was going to get however, and he decided he'd just have to write the message across multiple pieces of parchment and arrange them for Hermione to read. Heck, if he just wrote his name out that ought to be enough.

The A was a little more difficult. He had to come at the paper in two different angles, and in the process had gotten his back two paws covered in ink as well. By the time he had noticed, he had smudged his H page beyond recognition, and had to start that one over.

He was almost finished with his first R when he heard it. Footsteps, soft ones, coming up the stairs. Hermione was already finished and coming back! So far he had HAR written out over three pieces of parchment, but would she understand that?

He decided to rush the rest. He went to dip his paw back in the ink vial but in his haste knocked it on it's side. He mewed pitifully as the ink began to spread over the desk, covering most of what he had worked on.

"What on earth!" He whipped his head around, to see Hermione standing there with a look mixed between shock and anger on her face. Harry slumped against the desk, getting more ink on his fur, as Hermione directed a glare at him.

"Of course, I should have known..." She began mumbling to herself, as she set the two bowls of food down on the floor. "What was I thinking, leaving a wild animal, magical or not in my room without supervision? I suppose I should be glad this is all that happened." She carefully picked up the soaked parchment. She turned back to look at Harry. "And look at you! You're covered in ink." She shook her head in exasperation, before dashing to a closet in the hall to grab some rags to wipe up the ink.

Harry sat there as she worked, not wanting to make more of a mess. He tried mewing at her in what he thought was an apologetic way, but she simply shook her head at him, obviously irritated. Finally after the mess was at least contained, she scooped him up with one of the dirty rags.

"Come on you, we have to get you cleaned off now." She said as she carried him to the bathroom. She set the rag down on the counter before setting him on it, and then turned on the water for the bath tub. After a few minutes she checked it to make sure it was the right temperature, before turning back towards Harry.

Harry stared at the water apprehensively. He didn't know why, but his body had started shaking when he heard the water running, and seeing Hermione approaching him made him feel like it was time for his execution. He somehow kept himself from bolting as she lifted him up, and only put up a mild struggle when she carried him over to the tub. As she bent down to put him in the warm water however, his panic broke through and he began struggling harder.

Hermione kept a firm grip on him. "Now stop that this instant! You just need a quick bath, it won't kill you." She said.

Harry knew it was silly, he actually liked being clean, but some primal part of him was screaming at the prospect of being wet. He kept wriggling back and forth until finally, he slipped out of Hermione's hands.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying attention, and as gravity took over he looked down to find himself directly over the tub of water.

_Splash_

Harry stood up in the water, the sudden submersion helping him gain control of himself. He felt very foolish for having acted that way, but it seemed that whatever he was, it didn't like water. He looked up to try and apologize (even if it was just that silly mew sound) to Hermione, and froze again as his eyes widened.

Hermione had ink paw prints all over her now soaking wet shirt. She shook her head in exasperation. "See, that wasn't so bad now was it? Of course, you had to go and get me wet too didn't you?" She said, as she pulled her shirt over her head and set it on the counter, leaving her in a simple white bra. She looked down at the little trouble maker and saw it staring wide-eyed at her, and for some reason she felt herself getting embarrassed. "What? I don't like wearing wet clothes!" She said, chastising herself for feeling like she should cover up. It was just an animal for crying out loud!

Harry couldn't move, his eyes just stared at the amount of smooth skin he'd just been privileged to view. His mind went blank and suddenly all he could think of was running his hands over her parts of her he'd never even thought of before. He thought back to the dream he'd had the other night of flying with her on Buckbeak. As his eyes took in the sight of her developing chest, he once again affirmed that she was in fact, a girl.

Harry was so busy daydreaming, he never noticed as Hermione kneeled down and started washing the ink out of his fur. He finally shook himself out of his stupor as he felt soft hands gently tugging on his fur. He looked up, and found himself eye-level with the subject of his thoughts. Her bra had gotten a little wet as she washed him, and he could start to see the hidden skin beneath it, before he finally snapped himself out of it. This was his friend he was oogling. A very attractive friend, but she deserved better then...

She laughed gently at that moment as one of his whiskers brushed against her stomach. His eyes followed the movement of her chest for a moment before he finally had enough. There was a large splash as he scrambled from the bath tub and towards her bedroom, earning a surprised shout from Hermione. He quickly dove under he bed, curling up into his wet fur and trying to forget the images that were burning into his mind.

=-=FWP=-=

When Dumbledore arrived at Number Four Privet Drive his first reaction was to panic. There was smoke billowing up from the house! Something had happened and Harry was probably on his way to Voldemort at this moment.

Then he took a closer look. The smoke wasn't coming from the whole house, just the fireplace. He sighed in relief then. He realized he had been expecting trouble, but this was nothing out of the ordinary, just a fire lit...

'During summer? I would think the weather warm enough as it is..' He thought, shrugging away the peculiarities of this particular family. He casually made his way towards the door, discreetly casting a glamour charm on himself as he went, making his robes look like a finely tailored suit. He didn't realize however, that a finely tailored lime green suit, was sure to attract as much attention as the lime green robes he was actually wearing.

Dumbledore could hear some laughter coming from inside and felt himself grow perplexed. Surely they had noticed Harry was missing by now. Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as he realized that that was quite possibly what they were celebrating. Deciding to forgo pleasantries, he quickly tapped his wand against the doorknob, getting a small click as it unlocked, before turning it and letting himself in.

He found Harry's relatives gathered around the fireplace, stoking it hotter as they continued to fuel it. He watched as Harry's aunt handed a small black book to his uncle. Vernon Dursley was drenched in sweat and his face was red, but he had a gleeful look on his face as he tossed the book into the fire. As the book caught on fire, Harry's cousin ('Or perhaps the family's pet whale?' Dumbledore mused) chuckled , and Petunia reached into a trunk beside her to pull out...

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he recognized the _Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1_. They were burning Harry's possessions! Reacting on pure instinct, Dumbledore fired off four spells in quick succession, a flame freezing charm, and a body bind curse at each of the Dursley's. Harry's relatives fell to the ground with a thud, panic quite evident in their eyes as Dumbledore stowed his wand. He strode around to the front of the fire place, staring at the immobile Dursleys. Vernon's eyes narrowed in rage, and he struggled against the magical bonds to give the strangely dressed old man a piece of his mind.

Dumbledore took a moment to look through Harry's trunk, breathing an internal sigh of relief when his hand brushed against the invisibility cloak. He had no idea what might have happened if the Dursleys had thrown the cloak into the fire, but at best it could have meant the destruction of one of the Hallows...

He turned his attention back to the bound family. "I will make this as brief as I can. I will ask you questions, and you will answer them. Afterwords, I will take my leave. Do we understand each other?" He lifted the spell just enough to give the Dursleys control over their heads.

Once he realized he had control over part of himself, Vernon began to bluster. "NOW SEE HERE YOU FREAK.." was as far as he got before Dumbledore reapplied the curse. He absently noted that he'd have to see if he could find robes in the shade of purple that Vernon's face was turning.

"Petunia, I know that Harry is missing. I need to know what happened today." Dumbledore said, looking directly at Harry's aunt. She looked defiant for a mere moment, before her resolve crumbled in front of the aged wizard.

"The boy just disappeared this morning! He left some strange creature in his room that just... just vanished! I won't allow this unnaturalness in my home. I never wanted the boy here, he's been nothing but trouble and..."

Dumbledore had heard enough and reapplied the curse, not wanting to be subjected to the woman's shrill voice any more than needed. Leaving the Dursleys lying motionless on the floor, he walked up the stairs to Harry's room. He felt his blood run cold as took notice of the bullet holes and shattered glass near the window, but there was no other signs of a struggle, nor any blood stains. He began casting a string of spells, hoping to pick up some sign of what had happened.

There was something, a faint trace of magical energy that didn't belong to Harry. It was unlike anything Dumbledore had ever seen before. He studied it for a moment longer, but was still unable to identify it. Whatever had gotten into the house, it was no creature he had ever encountered before. He shook his head. There was nothing here to go off of. He could only hope that one of the others had had more luck.

He headed back down the stairs to where the Dursleys were still bound in his curse. He flicked his wand at Harry's trunk, and what possessions that hadn't been burned flew into it before the lid close and locked. He then strode forward, before he grabbed Vernon by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him up, looking directly in his eyes.

"I couldn't help but notice the state of Harry's room Mr. Dursley. I have no idea why a gun was discharged in my student's room, and I have a feeling that you will not give me a satisfactory answer, so I apologize in advance." With that, Dumbledore leveled his wand, barely taking notice of the panicked looks that descended on the Dursleys. "Legilimens!" He said.

He reviewed the memory of when Vernon went to wake up "the boy". He took notice of the strange creature that had been trying to escape through the window even as Vernon leveled a gun at it. The creature, whatever it was, was indistinct, almost blurred in the memory. It was as if someone had cast a kind of notice-me-not charm on the thing, so Vernon didn't get a clear look at it. The only feature he could make out was the black fur and the rather large tail behind the creature. He'd have to ask Hagrid if he knew of such a creature when he returned to Hogwarts. Then something even more extraordinary happened. As Vernon fired on the creature, it's tail quickly wrapped around it, seeming to squeeze it, and then it disappeared with a pop, as the bullet crashed into the windowsill causing the glass to shatter.

Satisfied that, at least Harry hadn't been shot at, Dumbledore broke the mental contact. The Dursleys were still staring at him fearfully, but he paid it no mind. He shrunk Harry's trunk and placed it in his pocket. Giving barely a glance to the Dursleys, he let himself out, and disapperated as soon as the door shut behind him. He had to hurry back to see if any of the others had returned with information.

As Dumbledore left Privet Drive Vernon Dursley breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes narrowed as he thought of what he would do to "the boy" if he ever showed up again after this incident. He tried to sit up when he realized that whatever that freak had done to him was still in effect. His struggle doubled as he realized that he had to make use of the bathroom.

A few minutes later, both Petunia and Dudley made a face of disgust as a wet popping sound escaped Vernon's backside. It would be twenty minutes before the body bind curse wore off.

=-=FWP=-=

Minver McGonagall sighed as she apparated to the Granger residence. She had just left the Burrow, where things had gone... predictably if she were to be honest with herself.

"Oh! Professor McGonagall, please come in!" Molly Weasley said, stepping out of the Burrow's doorway. McGonagall nodded in thanks, stepping in as Molly shut the door.

"Thank you Molly. I'm sorry I didn't floo ahead, but I'm here on rather urgent business. Is your so home?"

Molly sighed in exasperation. "Which one is it this time, Fred or George?"

McGonagall shook her head. "No Molly, it's actually Ronald I need to speak with. And before you worry, he's not in trouble, I just need to ask if he's heard from Harry recently."

"Harry?" Molly asked, before running to the foot of the stairs and yelling for Ron. A muffled grumbling sound was made in response, and a few moments later Ron came walking down the stairs. His eye's widened when he saw Professor McGonagall, and he immediately exclaimed "I didn't do it!"

McGonagall raised a eyebrow at that, but let it go. "I'm not here because you're in trouble Mr. Weasley. As I was just explaining to your mother, I just need to know if you've heard from Mr. Potter recently."

At hearing that he wasn't in trouble Ron relaxed, before his face grew confused. "I wrote him a letter to invite him to the World Cup, Dad got us tickets, we're all going even Bill and Charlie and.."

"Mr. Weasley! Please, while I'm happy for you that you will get to experience the World Cup, I need you to focus. In any of your correspondence with Mr. Potter, did he imply that he was going to leave home?" McGonagall asked.

"Correspondence?" Ron asked, a look of confusion on his face once more.

Years of dealing with children kept McGonagall from sighing. "His letters to you Mr. Weasley. In his letters to you did Mr. Potter say that he was going to run away from home?"

Ron shook his head. "No, last letter I got from him he said that he'd gotten permission from the muggles to come to the World Cup, and that it was fine if Dad and I picked him up this weekend."

McGonagall nodded. She was about to ask more when Molly went ahead.

"Professor? Is.. Is Harry missing? Have those dreadful muggles done something to him?" Molly began working herself into hysteria.

McGonagall shook her head. "We are not sure Molly. All we know is that Harry is not at his relative's house. The Headmaster has personally gone to the house to speak with them and find out what he can." She then turned to Ron, "Mr. Weasley, will you please bring me all the letters you've received from Mr. Potter this summer? I'd like to look through them and see if there are any clues as to where he might have gone."

Ron nodded, before running up the stairs to his room. McGonagall stood there silently as Molly wrung her hands in her apron. It didn't take a legilimency to let McGonagall know that Molly was imagining all the harm that could befall Harry. Not that she could blame her. McGonagall was also worried about her wayward student.

There was the sound of a stampede coming down the stairs, as the entirety of the Weasley children (minus Percy) made their way down, with Ron at the front holding some crumpled parchment.

"Professor! Is it true that Harry is missing?" Ginny asked as she caught sight of her transfiguration teacher.

"Or did he finally get tired of his family locking him up and done a runner?" One of the Weasley twins asked, McGonagall wouldn't even hazard a guess as to who was who.

"Now George you know little Harrykins wouldn't do that, not without calling us in to hex his relatives first." Fred (or so they tried to make the others assume) said.

"Ah true brother mine. He did promise after all, and it is our duty to help out a fellow Gryffindor whenever there's a need for havoc." George replied.

"And here I was looking forward to tempting his cousin with some of the Ton-Tongue Toffee. Course, who knows if we'd be able to reverse the-"

Molly erupted at that point. "BOYS! THIS IS SERIOUS! HARRY IS MISSING AND COULD BE IN ALL KINDS OF DANGER OR GETTING INTO ONLY WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE AND WE CAN'T BE WASTING THE PROFESSOR'S TIME WITH YOUR"

McGonagall tuned Molly out at that point, a talent she'd picked up after the tenth howler she'd sent the twins, reaching forward instead to take the letters in Ron's hands. There was only three of them, and they were all short. The first two were thanking Ron and his family for the food they'd sent him, and the last had been just what Ron said, a simple message saying that Harry had gained permission from his Uncle to go with the Weasleys to the World Cup.

McGonagall handed the letters back to Ron, thanking him. She then turned and waited for Molly's tirade to end. When it became apparent that it wasn't going to end in the next five minutes or so, she instead waited until Molly took a breath.

"Molly, thank you for your time. If you or your family hear from Harry, please contact me or the Headmaster immediately. I must get to Ms. Granger's house before it gets much later."

Molly nodded, her face still red from yelling at her sons. McGonagall nodded, and turned to leave. She'd made it to the door when Ginny spoke up, causing her to pause.

"Professor..." She said, "You'll tell us if you find out anything about Harry won't you?"

McGonagall turned and offered a small smile to the girl. "Of course Ms. Weasley, as soon as we hear anything we'll let you know." With that, she stepped outside and disapperated.

Now she was standing at the door of the Granger household. It was rather late, but she'd have to hope someone was still awake. She knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments she knocked again. She saw a light turn on and could hear the shuffling sounds of someone coming down the stairs. There was a click, and the door opened, revealing a middle age man in pajamas. He had the same brown hair that Hermione had, and though it was much shorter, it looked like she'd also inherited her bushy hair from him as well. The man blinked at her, shaking his head slightly.

"You're... that Professor from Hermione's school aren't you?" He asked.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, I'm Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Granger, but I need to speak with Hermione. It is urgent."

Mr. Granger nodded his head, and asked her to come in. He led her to the living room and motioned towards a chair. "Have a seat, I'll go get Hermione down here." he said, before heading up the stairs. McGonagall sat down and waited. A few minutes passed, and then she could hear the sounds of someone coming back down the stairs. Hermione stepped into the room, her bushy hair even messier then normal.

"Professor? What's wrong, my dad said you had something important to speak to me about." Hermione said.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes Ms. Granger. I need to know if you've heard from Mr. Potter recently? He is no longer at his relative's house and we're not sure if he ran away or.." McGonagall stopped there.

Hermione's eyes widened. "No, the last letter I got to him was a thank you for the birthday treats I sent him. It sounded like his family hasn't been feeding him very well."

McGonagall nodded. She'd been sure Hermione would have let someone know if Harry was planning to run away, but she had to be sure.

"I see. Thank you Ms. Granger. And please, if you do hear anything from Mr. Potter, let myself or the Headmaster know immediately."

"Of course professor. Have you checked with Ron yet? Harry might have gone to the Burrow if he ran away from home. Or the Leaky Cauldron like he did last year. Or-"

"Yes Ms. Granger I just came from the Burrow, they have not heard from Harry either. The Headmaster has gone to speak with Harry's relatives, and we have other people searching for him."

Hermione nodded, obviously worrying over her missing friend. McGonagall stood up and prepared to say her goodbyes, when she caught sight of something in her peripheral vision. She turned and looked at a black furred animal that had entered the room. It sat down and looked at her, it's large tailed curled around it's paws. She blinked, having never seen a creature like it before. When she opened her eyes however, the creature turned out to be a black cat. It still had an amazingly large tail, but it was obviously a cat. McGonagall shook her head, thinking that she must be getting tired.

She strode towards the door and bade the Grangers a goodnight. She cast a look over her shoulder as she stepped out the door, and saw the cat nudging it's head against Hermione's leg, trying to get her attention. It's green eyes reflected in the light as it moved. Then Mr. Granger shut the door, and McGonagall shook her head trying to clear it. It was late, and she'd still have to report to Dumbledore that she hadn't found anything. She'd just have to hope that one of the others had had better luck.

=-=FWP=-=

As Hermione tossed around on her bed in a fitful sleep, Harry found himself feeling even worse. He know she was worried about him, but he couldn't do anything. She had locked up all her ink and parchment after the incident that afternoon, and Harry wasn't sure what else to try.

He'd thought his troubles were over when he heard Professor McGonagall's voice coming from the Granger's living room. He'd ran downstairs and watched as the Professor told Hermione that he was missing. It was perfect, all he'd have to do was get her to look at him. Obvious he would be strange enough for her to want a closer look, and hopefully she'd be able to connect his "disapperance" from Privet Drive with the appearance of this strange creature.

As he waited however, he began to worry. Would he be in trouble for completing the animagus transformation? He hadn't registered himself after all, and McGonagall would be sure to make him register if she discovered that he'd become and animagus. He'd wanted to keep it a secret like Sirius and his father had.

Then he noticed McGonagall looking at him, and he felt a surge in his magic. McGonagall blinked, and then shook her head, before bidding everyone a goodnight and walking towards the door, followed by Mr. Granger. Harry stood there a moment confused, as he watched Hermione sink into a chair. McGonagall had obviously seen him, but then she acted like he wasn't any big deal. He felt frustration well up inside him, but that was quelled when he took a look at his friend. Her face was set in worry, and in the light he could see tear shining in her eyes. He walked over towards her, butting her leg with his head. She looked down at him and then scooped him into her arms, hugging him against her chest. Harry didn't even feel the discomfort he knew he should at the contact. He just wanted her to feel better.

Hermione had carried him up to her room, and then cuddled against him. She gently stroked his tail as she stared at the ceiling. It took her nearly an hour before she'd been able to get back to sleep. After Harry felt she was asleep, he'd gently crawled away, not feeling all that tired and not wanting to wake her up. He settled at one edge up the bed and watched her, wondering just what he could do. He focused inward on his magical core. It was still chaotic, but it was slightly calmer now. But what had it done earlier when McGonagall was looking at him? He'd felt it spike up, but he hadn't transported himself anywhere.

His thoughts were torn from that as he heard Hermione toss over once again. He looked at her for a moment before mewing to himself. He was getting nowhere fast, and to make matters worse, the Weasley's were coming to pick up Hermione for the World Cup tomorrow (if they were even still going. Harry would never forgive himself if they decided not to go because he was missing.) and he wasn't sure what he'd do then.

He mewed again, and set his muzzle on his paws as he lied down and watched his friend in her fitful sleep.

=-=FWP=-=

Dumbledore just barely kept himself from sighing as Moody finished his report. Neither her nor Minerva had discovered anything regarding Harry's current whereabouts. For all intents and purposes, it seemed that Harry had just disappeared off the face of the planet.

It didn't make sense. Voldemort couldn't have done it, the blood protections would have seen to that, and although Pettigrew had doubtless returned to his master's side, he wouldn't have had the skill or finesse to take Harry away without leaving a trace.

The only thing that caught his attention was that...

"...thought it was some black fox for a moment, that's how tired I am." McGonagall finished saying, immediately grabbing Dumbledore's attention.

"Excuse me Minerva, my mind was elsewhere for a moment. What was that you just said?"

McGonagall gave a wan smile. "Oh, just telling Alastor that I was so tired, I mistook a cat at the Granger's house for some black fox. It did have a large tail, but that was about it."

Dumbledore froze, thinking back to Vernon's memory of that morning. Whatever the creature was, it had black fur and a large tail. And if Dumbledore recalled correctly, Ms. Granger's familiar was a large orange cat.

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, stepping around his desk towards a cabinet, "I'm sorry to ask this of you since you're tired, but could I get a copy of your memory of the meeting with Ms. Granger please?"

"Of course Albus, if you think it will help." She put her wand to her temple, as he pulled a large stone basin from the cabinet and set it on the desk. She pulled her wand away, a silver tail following it, before it snapped away, and she lowered it gently into the basin.

Dumbledore nodded in thanks, before immersing himself in the pensieve. He watched as McGonagall talked with Hermione, and then he saw it. The creature that entered the room could definitely be a black fox, even if the tail was larger then normal, if not for the fact that it had a small horn atop it's head. He also noticed the green eyes, and after carefully examining the creature, the small white patch of fur below the horn. A small patch of white fur that, if he was not mistaken, was in the shape of a lightning bolt. Then he noticed the creature start to get anxious, and then when McGonagall looked at it, it changed, looking far more like a common house cat.

Dumbledore looked wistful as he rose from his pensieve. There was a small smile on his face that both McGonagall and Moody immediately took notice of.

"Well Albus? What's got you in such a good mood?" Moody asked.

"We will have to await word from Remus and his friend Alastor, but I do believe I have a rather good guess on where Mr. Potter is at this moment." Albus said, relief flooding his body.

"What? Well where is he Albus, we can go make sure right now!" McGonagall said as she took to her feet.

Dumbledore raised a hand. "It is quite alright Minerva. I am certain now that Harry is in no danger. If we do not hear back from Remus before the morning then I will personally go and ensure Harry's safety."

McGonagall looked dubiously at the headmaster for a moment, but he kept that smile on his face, and the twinkle had returned to his eyes. She finally nodded. "If you say so Albus. I'll be returning home the, but please floo me once you know for sure that Mr. Potter is alright."

"Of course Minerva." Dumbledore said, nodding to his deputy headmistress as she walked towards his fire place. With a flash of green flames she was gone, with Moody heading for his own home shortly thereafter, grumbling about people playing their cards to close to their chest.

Dumbledore settled into his chair, and looked over at Fawkes. "Well Fawkes, it seems even outside of school Harry has to break the rules. Who would have thought..." He trailed off, as Fawkes looked on, wondering what his friend was getting on about.

* * *

**AN2:** ** Man, this chapter gave me all kinds of trouble. So yes, as people have brought up, Harry could just try writing his name out. I had already thought of that, which lead to the ink bottle fiasco. **

**I had to rewrite the middle part about three times, and I'm still not satisfied with it. Chapter 4 is in the works, and I will try to have it out before the end of April, we'll see how school is.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, even if you reviewed when I only posted the chapter preview. Also, I apologize, as there were quite a few errors (grammar and spelling) in the last chapter. As I've mentioned, I work and go to school full time, so I barely have time for any recreational writing, let alone proof-reading my fanfics. Shoddy excuse I know, but that's life :D. If there is anyone out there who is willing to beta FWP, I'd appreciate it. If not, then I'll try to fix errors when I see them or when they're pointed out to me.

For those of you who are upset or curious that Dumbledore knows about Harry's transformation here's what I was thinking. Dumbledore, for all his faults, is a brilliant wizard. He is intelligent, and there's not much that would escape his notice. At this point, he doesn't _know_ for sure that Harry is transformed, he just has a very good guess. And as we all know, Dumble's guesses turn out to be right.

Though, on the subject of Dumbledore, I still find myself confused by the whole Elder Wand thing. He planned to have the power of the wand die with him, but he also planned for Harry to find out about the Hallows and for the wand to end up in Voldemort's possession so that Harry would have like triple protection against him by somehow becoming the master of the EW himself.

Unless Dumbledore didn't plan for Voldemort to have the wand, which means his plan went: Harry goes to Voldemort and sacrifices himself The Horcrux takes the actual hit, Harry comes back because Voldemort used his blood to bring himself back Harry fights a now mortal Voldemort... Mortal Voldemort turns Harry into a pile of goo because Harry's spell knowledge consists of Summoning charm, Patronus charm, Shield charm, and Disarming charm...bwah? (I know, it's just another one of those amazing plot holes, I'm just trying to work it out in my head)

And with that, on with the story!

**Note: This chapter is unbeta'd, so if there's any mistakes please let me know. On that note, I am still looking for a beta if anyone is interested!**

=-=FWP=-=

Harry awoke to the rumbling sensation in his chest, as he felt a hand gently running through his fur. He cracked one eye open to see Hermione sitting up against the head of her bed, petting him as she thought. Harry closed his eyes again and decided to enjoy the sensation.

He had stayed up for most of the night watching Hermione toss and turn. It wasn't until Crookshanks meowed at him and gave a pointed look at his master that Harry tried helping. He had hopped onto her bed and gently nudged himself under one of her arms. After a few moments, Hermione seemed to relax, and the combination of her rhythmic breathing and his own fatigue finally lulled him off to sleep. Now the magic that Hermione was working on his fur was tempting him to have a bit of a lie in.

The relative peace of the morning was disturbed with the arrival of a special messenger. Harry felt more then saw the flash of fire, and immediately sprang to his feet. His eyes widened in recognition as he took in the brilliant scarlet form of Fawkes, the phoenix that had come to his aid when he fought in the Chamber of Secrets, and familiar to Albus Dumbledore.

Hermione froze at the flashy entrance, staring in apprehension at the strange bird that had exploded into her room. Fawkes, sensing her distress, sang a soothing note, and Hermione found herself relaxing. Fawkes landed at the end of her bed, and extended his leg, showing the message that was attached.

Hermione slowly reached forward, still slightly apprehensive of the magnificent bird. She'd read about phoenixes of course, and knew that they were creatures normally associated with the light. She then realized there was only one person she knew with a phoenix who would try contacting her, the Headmaster.

'Maybe he found Harry!' She thought as she took the parchment from Fawkes. As she sat back to read it, Fawkes hopped onto her bed, standing in front of Harry. He craned his neck this way and that, looking over the strange creature, before staring Harry in the eyes.

Then he laughed. Sure, it didn't sound like a laugh, but the phoenix song that came from Fawkes was laced with humor. What was it with every animal he knew finding his situation so amusing? He swore he would never forgive Fawkes, though he was still better than Crookshanks in his opinion. At least the bird didn't try to get Harry to peep at his best friend.

"Oh my! Professor Dumbledore is coming over to speak with me!" Hermione exclaimed after reading the letter. She tossed the parchment onto her nightstand and pulling off her top and running to her wardrobe, not wanting to meet her headmaster in her night clothes.

The laughter from Fawkes echoed in Harry's mind as he quickly hid under a pillow.

=-=FWP=-=

A short while later Hermione was dressed and waiting in her living room anxiously for the arrival of Dumbledore. Harry and Crookshanks watched as her leg bounced up and down as she tried to concentrate on the book she was reading. Fawkes had flashed away after Hermione wrote a reply saying she was fine with meeting the headmaster. Now they just sat in silence, aside from the tapping of Hermione's foot.

Finally there was a knock on the door, and Hermione was out of her seat as though she'd been fired from a cannon. Harry and Crookshanks quickly dove out of the way to avoid being stepped on by the girl, as she ran to the door and threw it open.

There was Professor Dumbledore, smiling down at Hermione and dressed in what seemed to be a purple suede overcoat, with some kind of shirt with a purple flower pattern and a large green bow-tie. To complete the look he was wearing a brown top hat and had a cane in his hands. Hermione's greeting died on her lips as she took in her headmaster's appearance.

"Ah, good morning Ms. Granger. I thank you for making time to speak with me today, I hope it is not an inconvenience?"

Hermione shook her head trying to clear it, but Dumbledore was still dressed in the outlandish getup. "Um... not at all Headmaster. Please come in." She said, finally getting over the shock his appearance had caused.

Hermione led Dumbledore into the living room, and was able to wait a whole second after he sat down before she barraged him with questions.

"Did you find Harry Professor? Is he okay? Did his relatives throw him out? Is he with Sirius? He didn't use magic again did he? He isn't in any trouble is he? Why are you dressed like that?"

Dumbledore merely smiled as Hermione went on, waiting for her to pause. When she finally stopped to take a breath, Dumbledore coughed, gaining her attention and a sheepish look.

"To answer you questions Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter is fine." Harry's head shot up at that. "I was able to figure out his location last night, and can guarantee you he is with people who will take very good care of him."

Hermione collapsed into the couch at Dumbledore's words. She had been so worried about her friend, who always seemed to find himself in one spot of trouble or another. She was so relieved, she almost missed that Dumbledore was still speaking.

"so he gave me a this outfit and some of his delightful candy as a gift before I left his factory. It's one of my favorite muggle outfits." He said, thoroughly confusing Hermione.

"Actually Ms. Granger, aside from delivering the happy news of Mr. Potter, I was visiting because Professor McGonagall told me she saw a most peculiar creature here last night when she was visiting, and I was interested in seeing it. If I may?"

Hermione nodded. Perhaps the headmaster knew what the strange creature she had psuedo adopted was? "Of course Professor. I've actually been trying to figure out what it was myself, but there's nothing even close to resembling it in any of my books!"

Harry made his appearance, walking from behind the chair he had dove behind to avoid Hermione's charge. He looked up at the blue eyes of Dumbledore, and felt something... tugging? It felt like something was pressing against his mind.

Professor Dumbledore's eyes began twinkling as he looked at the strange creature. "Most extraordinary. May I have a moment alone with him Ms. Granger? I'd like to try something to ascertain the identity of this little fellow."

Hermione nodded immediately. "Of course Professor. I'll just run into the kitchen for a bit. Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said. Hermione nodded, before excusing herself and walking to the kitchen. Once she was gone Dumbledore returned his gaze to Harry and smiled. "Well Mr. Potter, I must say you gave us all quite a scare yesterday."

Harry felt himself almost collapse in relief. Finally! Someone knew who he was! And best of all, it was Professor Dumbledore. If anyone could get him back to normal, it would be him.

"Quite extraordinary Mr. Potter. I've never heard of anyone turning into a magical creature for their animagus transformation." Harry's head snapped back in shock, and his form started to blur. "Please Mr. Potter, don't be nervous. You haven't done anything wrong, and to be honest I have the feeling that if you feel threatened by me, I might forget that I saw you here."

Harry stilled, trying to calm himself. He wasn't sure what the headmaster meant, but he definitely didn't want the old man to forget he had seen him here.

"If you don't mind Harry, I'd like to use a technique called Legilimency on you. It will allow me to review your memories and see what might have caused this unique transformation."

Harry nodded, glad to do anything to help solve the mess he was in.

"Excellent. Please just think of everything that's happened since right before you attempted your transformation." After giving Harry a moment, Dumbledore pulled his wand out and pointed it at the small creature. "Legilimens!" He said.

Everything was silent for a moment as Harry felt that pressure in his mind again, only this time it was focused, almost like a pin prick, compared to the heavy feeling he'd had before. He could see the memories of what had happened to him over the last couple days. From his transformation and his escape from the Dursley's, to his lunch and subsequent escape from that strange girl. Strangely enough, it seemed that the memories of what he had experienced since coming to Hermione's house were fragmented, the scenes of when he'd stumbled into her bathroom or from earlier this morning weren't there, or perhaps Dumbledore was just respecting what he considered to be private?

Finally, Dumbledore lowered his wand, and shook his head in amusement. "It seems I owe old Sebastian Lovegood a bag of lemon drops. To think that there really are Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

Harry quirked his head at that. So the blonde girl was right? He was a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Dumbledore focused on Harry once again, thinking over the memories he had just witnessed. While Harry might have missed it during the transformation, Dumbledore had definitely felt the foreign magic within him that had interfered with the process. This had confirmed one of Dumbledore's greatest fears, even beyond the fact that Harry was a parselmouth. But... could this be the power?

He shook his head, deciding to think on it later. "Well Mr. Potter, you certainly have been busy. Let's start with the bad news first. I won't be able to transform you back." Harry felt his heart sink at that. Dumbledore noticed Harry's ears fall back, a look of sadness and concern, so he continued on, "There is a spell that will reverse the animagus transformation, however with your unique situation I cannot guarantee it would work without any side-effects. At best, I would assume that it would keep you from ever transforming again, but at worst it could leave you without access to your magical core."

Harry shook his head. He wouldn't really mind if he couldn't ever transform again, but not being able to do magic? He'd have to leave Hogwarts, and all his friends. That was too big a risk to take.

"However, I am confident that you will be able to manage the change on your own. It seems that the change into a creature with a magical core has created quite a bit of chaos with how your magic is used. It already seems more stable then it did when you first transformed. I'd say within two or three days, you'll have access to your own magical core again, and will then be able to transform back."

Harry nodded his head, feeling slightly relieved. After all, Dumbledore was an exceptional wizard. If he thought Harry could turn back on his own, then chances were he would.

Dumbledore smiled, seeing the agitation leave the small Snorkack. "Now Harry, it seems this form of yours has some special talents. The most obvious one I'm sure you've noticed, is your ability to apparate, or magically travel from one place to another."

"The other ability you have, seems to be a kind of self-defense mechanism. If you feel worried or threatened, you seems to be able to change the way others perceive you. You had Professor McGonagall quite convinced that you were an ordinary house cat last night."

'So that's why McGonagall didn't say anything!' Harry thought, wanting to rub his head in irritation. But then another thought had occurred to him. If he had that ability, why had the Dursleys attacked him?

Dumbledore picked up the question from Harry's mind. "I believe the reason you didn't just appear as something natural to the Dursleys, is that your magical core hadn't stabilized enough to use this defense."

Dumbledore walked towards him and knelt down, patting Harry on his head. "I do not know what other abilities your form might possess. I may have to restart my subscription to the Quibbler though..." Dumbledore paused, looking thoughtful, while Harry just looked up in confusion.

The silence was broken by a strange sound coming from the pocket of Dumbledore's coat. He reached inside and pulled out a pocket watch that was playing some nonsensical song.

_Oompa Loompa Gobbledygate_

_If you don't leave now you will be late_

_Oompa Loompa dobbledeedee_

_For your appointment with Mad-Eye Moody_

Dumbledore looked surprised, but nodded, and the pocket watch silenced as he put it back in his coat. "Dear me, I seem to have lost track of the time. Well Harry my boy, I must be off. If I keep Alastor waiting it will take me half an hour to convince him I wasn't replaced by some dark wizard looking to steal his fake leg. I shall see you when the term starts." Dumbledore turned and walked towards the kitchen. Inside he saw Hermione sitting at the table, a book of magical creatures opened before her.

"Thank you for your time Ms. Granger, I regret that I must be off. I have an important meeting with an associate of mine."

Hermione smiled. "Of course Headmaster. Were you able to discover what kind of creature he is?" She asked, looking at Harry who had followed the Headmaster in to the kitchen.

"Oh yes, he is a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. You probably will not find information about them in any book but there is a small publication called the Quibbler which frequently prints information about them. To be honest, I didn't even think they really existed until I saw him."

Making a mental note of the name Quibbler, Hermione decided to see if she could find a copy the next time she was in Diagon Alley.

"Thank you headmaster." She said. Then a concerned look crossed her face. "And.. you're certain Harry is okay? Can you tell me where he's staying right now?"

"Of course Ms. Granger, I was just going to let you know that this particular Snorkack..." Dumbledore started, before his pocket watch jumped out of his coat pocket. It floated in front of him, dancing in the air as it once again began to sing, catching both his and Hermione's attention.

_Oompa Loompa gobbledydoid_

_Alsastor Moody is getting quite paranoid_

_Oompa Loompa dobblededenses_

_He has started to raise some defenses_

"Oh dear me. I'm sorry Ms. Granger, I must go. The last time Alastor thought I was late he assumed it was because I had been captured, and when I arrived he claimed I had been replaced, and warded himself in his own vault at Gringotts. It took me two weeks to finally convince him that I was myself. I shall see you at the start of the term." With a smile and a wave, Dumbledore quickly spun in place, and with a crack he was gone.

Hermione stared at the spot her Headmaster had disappeared from, before sighing as she rubbed her temples. "That song is going to be stuck in my head all day now."

Harry nodded in agreement, and then mewed as he realized that Dumbledore still hadn't told Hermione that he was himself!

Crookshanks just purred in contentment, as he continued to sun himself on a window.

=-=FWP=-=

The next day was rather hectic. Hermione had received an owl from Ron after Dumbledore's visit saying that since Harry was alright, they were still going to head to the World Cup, and would pick her up today. Hermione had spent the rest of the day packing and trying to choose which books to take. Harry watched in amusement as Hermione flew around her room, grabbing things and setting them into piles that consisted of; Taking, Might Take, Will Consider Taking, and Requires Further Consideration. Books fell into each pile, and Harry began to wonder just how she was planning on fitting it all into her trunk. He didn't blame her though, as this would be her last chance to grab anything before the next summer, as she would be staying with the Weasleys until September 1st.

Hermione woke up early that morning and had breakfast with her parents. It was calm, nothing like the meals at the Weasley's house. When they were finished Hermione's father gave her a hug and wished her well for the next school year, and when he thought her mother wasn't looking, handed Hermione a fifty pound note. It made Harry laugh, when a minute later Hermione's mother did the same thing, only she gave her daughter a conspiratorial wink.

After her parents left, Hermione had just had enough time to grab her trunk and bring it down the stairs before the fireplace in her living room flared with green flames, before the twins Fred and George stepped out, followed a few seconds by Ron and their father.

Ron walked through the Granger's sitting room (carelessly tracking ash along the way, which would've set Hermione off, if she hadn't noticed Mr. Weasley vanishing the mess.) looking around.

"Huh, so this is a muggle home? Blimey, I can see why you'd want to get out of her Hermione, look at this! The pictures are broken, none of them are even moving!" Ron said, waving to the pictures of her and her family that adorned the wall.

Hermione huffed in indignation. "I'm not in a hurry to leave Ron, personally I'd be just as happy to stay here until the term starts. I can read her quite a bit easier then I can at the Burrow, and it's not like I care all that much about quidditch.. And I keep telling you muggle pictures don't move."

Ron however had focused solely on the first part. "What do you mean you don't care about quidditch! You go to every game Gryffindor plays!"

"Of course I do Ron, to support Harry. Honestly, if Harry wasn't on the team I probably wouldn't have ever watched a game." Hermione said.

Ron stood staring, unable to comprehend that someone in the world did not love quidditch. While his brain was wrestling with that concept, Mr. Weasley and the twins (who had waited for their father to vanish the ash off their clothing and shoes) approached.

"Good morning Hermione, you all ready to head to the Burrow?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes Mr. Weasley. I take it we'll be traveling by floo?" She asked.

Mr. Weasley nodded, and began to say something when one of the twins yelped in surprise.

"Bloody hell Hermione!"

"What is this thing?" They asked, pointing to Harry, who was sitting on the trunk watching the proceedings.

"Oh! That's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I found him the other day, and it seems like he's kind of adopted me." She said, running a hand over Harry's head. He pressed up against the contact, arching his back as she ran her hand down it.

"Oh come off it, a Cramp-Horned Snorlax? Now you're sounding like Loony." Ron said, finally having something to take his mind off the impossibility of someone not loving quidditch.

"It's Crumple-Horned Snorkack Ron. And you'd better watch who you're calling a loony." Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at him, causing Ron to take a step back.

Ron put his hand in front of his chest and shook his head. "N-No Hermione, I'm not calling you a loony. I was talking about Loony Lovegood, she's an old friend of Ginny's who used to come around the Burrow to play. She was always talking about these made up creatures like Snorlaxes and Naggies and Suudowoodos. That's why everyone calls her Loony."

"Not everyone dear brother." Fred said.

"You see, unlike yourself, we're willing to believe in something we can't see." Continued by George.

"And even if we don't believe, we, once again unlike you, don't get our fun by taking the mickey out of little girls."

"Of course Fred, it could just be widdle Ronald's way of showing he cares."

"Ah yes, like that time you put that shrinking charm on Eliza's knickers?"

"Exactly, maybe ickle Ronniekins has a crush on poor Luna."

Fred nodded sagely at that. "Poor indeed, if she's the center of Ron's affections."

Harry, who had been following the conversation as if he were watching a tennis match, began purring at the teasing his friend was under. Had he been in human form, he would be chuckling at the antics of the twins.

Mr. Weasley shook his head as Ron opened up his mouth to retort. "Now now boys, no need to stand her and argue in the Granger's house. Though I do wish we had more time to spend here." During the twin's bit, he had been looking around the room, eyeing the TV with keen interest. "You can argue all you like when you get home. Fred, George, grab Hermione's trunk and we'll be on our way."

Hermione looked at Harry as he jumped off the trunk as the twins approached. "Mr. Weasley, is it alright if I bring the Snorkack with me to the Burrow? I was thinking of taking him to Hogwarts and showing him to Hagrid, as long as you don't mind."

Mr. Weasley nodded, handing Fred and George some floo powder. "Not at all Hermione." He said, before handing some floo powder to Ron. Fred had stepped into the fireplace and disappeared with Hermione's trunk, followed shortly by George who was holding Crookshanks in his carrier. Ron went next, his ears still slightly red from being teased by the twins.

Once Ron was gone and the green flames had died down, Mr. Weasley turned to Hermione. "Now Hermione... did Professor Dumbledore tell you anything about where Harry is? We received an owl from Minerva this morning that said he was alright, but nothing else."

Hermione shook her head, bending down and picking up Harry. "No, all he said was that Harry was with someone who would take good care of him. He actually seemed more interested in the Snorkack here."

Mr. Weasley nodded. "I was hoping.. Molly is beside herself with worry. She feels like if Harry was taken in by anyone, it should have been us. Be prepared when you arrive, she'll probably bombard you with questions the second you step through the floo."

Harry shook his head. He was sure to get an earful from Mrs. Weasley once he returned to is human form for not going to the Burrow. He just prayed he saw her before he went to Hogwarts. While her screaming would be bad enough in person, it was much, much better then getting one of her infamous howlers in the middle of the great hall.

Mr. Weasley handed Hermione some floo powder, and she tossed it into the fireplace, stepping into the green flames. She held Harry close to her, as she called out "The Burrow." in a clear voice.

=-=FWP=-=

It turned out Molly didn't even wait for Hermione to step out of the fireplace before she started asking her questions. She grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her roughly from the fireplace, causing Harry to tumble out of her arms and onto the floor.

"Well! Where's Harry? You've written to him haven't you? Professor Dumbledore went to your house personally. I don't know what that boy is thinking running off again. And what's worse, not even bothering to let us know he was okay!" Mrs. Weasley's face was red, whether from anger or lack of oxygen from her little tirade Hermione wasn't sure.

"Mum, we told you already Harry wasn't at Hermione's house." Ron said weakly, not wanting to draw his mother's ire onto himself.

Hermione nodded quickly. "It's true Mrs. Weasley. I haven't heard from Harry, and Professor Dumbledore came to my house to check on a magical creature I had found!"

Mrs. Weasley stared at Hermione, as if she was trying to tell whether or not she was lying to her. She finally sniffed, and nodded, before releasing her grip on Hermione's arm. At that moment the fireplace flared up with green flames again, and Mr. Weasley stepped out.

"Everyone made it back alright then?" He asked.

"Yes dear." Mrs. Weasley said. She turned back to Hermione. "Why don't you go ahead and take your things up to Ginny's room, and then we can all DEAR MERLIN WHAT IS THAT?"

Mrs. Weasley had drawn her wand, and had it leveled at the ground near Hermione's trunk. Everyone looked to see Harry the Snorkack, who shrank back at the sight of the wand.

Hermione was the first to snap out of her shock from Mrs. Weasley's outburst. She jumped between Harry and Mrs. Weasley. "NO! Mrs. Weasley it's okay. This is the magical creature that Dumbledore came to see, it's a Snorkack."

Harry peeked around Hermione's legs to see Mrs. Weasley giving him a look that he would normally associate with Draco Malfoy. He'd never seen her look like that at anything before, and it was quite unnerving.

"Molly, Hermione is taking it to school to show Hagrid. I told her it was fine if she brought it with her." Mr. Weasley said. There was silence for a few moments, until Mrs. Weasley gave a huff, and put her wand away.

"Of course dear... but it will have to stay outside. It can sleep in Arthur's shed." Mrs. Wealsey said.

Hermione nodded, before quickly picking Harry up and heading the back door. Once outside, she sighed in relief, and set Harry on the ground.

"Alright you... um.. Snorkack. That's very inconvenient you know, we'll have to think of a name for you. You'll have to stay out here for now okay? I don't want to make Mrs. Weasley mad. It'll only be for tonight anyways. We're leaving for the World Cup tomorrow." Not knowing what else to say, Hermione shrugged, and walked back towards the Burrow.

Harry sat outside, still shocked from the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. He had no doubt that without Hermione's interference, he would have been dodging curses from someone he considered.. not like a mother, but an Aunt like figure if nothing else.

Harry wandered around the yard behind the Burrow, looking for something to do. At first he chased the garden gnomes around for a little while, until they organized and started pelting him with pebbles and twigs. He had finally called it quits when one of the gnomes showed up riding on the head of an odd colored toad, and making strange gestures with his hands.

As night fell, Harry curled up near Arthur's shed and laid his head on his paws. He could hear the increase in activity in the Burrow. Honestly, if the Weasleys actually had neighbors, he'd be sure they could hear it as well... from the next town over or so. He wistfully found himself glad he was outside, away from the chaos that any gathering of the Weasleys eventually became. Not that he didn't enjoy the atmosphere from time to time, but it was nothing like being able to enjoy the night air in his Snorkack form. The sounds of the various bugs and animals were sharp in his ears, and he could smell the various trees and grass, and a hint of ink..

Harry's head shot up as he sniffed the air more deeply this time. There it was, the smell of ink and paper, not like the bookish smell that Hermione often had about her. The scent he caught was much fresher, ink that hadn't been applied to paper yet. There was another scent intermingled with the smell of ink, something Harry couldn't quite place and could only describe as flowery. The smell was making him nervous.

It took Harry a few moments to figure out exactly why the smell made him nervous. It smelled just like that girl from the other day. The one who had fed him and tried to get him to stick around for a picture... after mentioning the fact that some group would love to perform painful experiments on him. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine even remembering it.

But that girl was wherever her home was, he'd probably never run into her again so there was no use worrying...

Right?

=-=FWP=-=

Hermione didn't know what to make of the pair who had exited the Burrow's fireplace after dinner. A thin man with long white hair and a distracted gaze, and his blonde haired daughter. Mr. Weasley introduced them as the Lovegood family, Xenophilius and Luna. And if Xenophilius' gaze had a distracted look to it, then Luna's had a downright "out-to-lunch". Not that she wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her, but Hermione couldn't help but think that the girls' silvery gray eyes were looking beyond her. Almost as if she wasn't looking at Hermione herself, but something beyond...

Apparently the Lovegood family had come to see if the Weasleys were willing to let Luna stay with in their tent for the World Cup. Mr. Lovegood had gotten tickets since he was a reporter (at which Ron and Mrs. Weasley both rolled their eyes), but would not be attending because he had a lead on another story.

"Yes, I was quite surprised when I got an owl from none other then Ragnarok himself! Seems like he's finally willing to give an interview about how there's billions of galleons worth of gold locked away in the Hogwarts Founder's vaults, just sitting there all this time!" Mr. Lovegood explained, "Apparently the goblins have been keeping them safe because he is certain that eventually a wizard will travel from the future to our time and take some kind of ancient blood test that will show he is not only heir to the four founders, but also Merlin himself! So you see why I can't possibly go and report on something as trivial as the World Cup."

Ron coughed something that sounded suspiciously like loon, earning a glare from both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course Xenophilius, we'd love to have Luna join us, wouldn't we?" Mr. Weasley said, turning to his family. No one seemed too enthused with the idea, but they didn't speak out against it either.

"Splendid! Thank you so much. I'll be sure to drop Luna off at the portkey tomorrow morning then." Mr. Lovegood said. "Well come along then Luna, we have to get you all packed and ready for tomorrow."

Luna followed Mr. Lovegood to the fireplace, but stopped as she passed by Hermione. She gave Hermione that weird stare that made her feel like the girl was looking both through her and past her. Then, faster then Hermione could blink, Luna shot her hand forward and touched Hermione's shoulder, pulling what looked to be a black hair from it.

Hermione just stared in shock as the blonde girl look at the hair in her fingers. Luna examined it for a few moments, before her face split into the sunniest smile Hermione had ever seen. The girl's entire body seemed to suddenly exude excitement, and there was a light in her eyes that spoke of something beyond happiness, before she threw her arms around Hermione and squeezed her into a hug.

"So he found someone good to take care of him! Oh I can't wait to see him again, you'll bring him with you to the World Cup won't you?" Luna asked.

Hermione, still slightly shocked by Luna's actions, simply nodded. That seemed to be all the answer that Luna needed, as she released her hold on Hermione and actually skipped to the fireplace, throwing in a pinch of floo powder and disappearing in a flash of green flames.

The Weasley family looked at the bushy haired girl in confusion, but Hermione's face mirrored the same look. It was Mr. Weasley who finally broke the silence.

"Well, we should all probably head to bed now, we'll have to be up extra early tomorrow if we want to make the portkey."

They dispersed after that, Hermione and Ginny headed up to Ginny's room followed by Ron. As the two girls entered the room, Ron had one last thing to say.

"See, told you she was loony."

**Author's Note:**

**First, I would like to apologize for how long this update took. Honestly, it was mostly written for the better part of a year, but I had a very hard time finishing it. I hope to have the next update out before the end of the month, but have no fear, this story will not be abandoned.**

**Now, onto important business. I'm sure a lot of you have seen the recent snafu concerning FF dot net suddenly enforcing policy by banning authors and deleting stories without warning. While this isn't the place for further discussion, I highly encourage you to check the forums **forum dot fanfiction dot net/topic/111772/63683250/

**I've pledged my support, and just want to make sure others are aware of the situation. Please though, if you have any questions or comments for me about this particular situation send them through PM and not in the reviews :)**

**Next time, we'll see the World Cup, and the shenanigans that a imaginative girl and a magical creature can get up to when terrorists decide to crash the party.**


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